Concerning the practicability of differentiation of criminal responsibility for illegal turnover of explosive agents and devices (review of the project of federal law № 509018-6 “On introducing amendments to the criminal code of the Russian Federation and some legislative acts of the Russian Federation”)

One of the prospects of further differentiation of criminal responsibility for illegal turnover of explosive agents and devices is advisability of distinguishing of a special rule proposed in the bill № 509018-6 “On amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation”. The developers of this bill propose to impose more severe criminal responsibility for the offenses, in particular, for the illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of explosives and explosive devices. Following the same logic the legislators allocate new special rules on liability for illegal manufacture of explosives, as well as for the illegal manufacture, alteration or repair of explosive devices. It seems that it would be more reasonable to enhance the criminal penalty to the same extent for not only illegal turnover of explosive agents and devices, but also firearms and ammunition, that is, by making appropriate changes in the existing sanctions in the Art. 222 of the Criminal Code and, accordingly, for their illegal manufacture, alteration or repair by amendment of the sanctions in the Art. 223 of the Criminal Code.