Some aspects of using a non-procedural form of specialized knowledge

The relevance of this work is determined by the fact that, due to rapidly developing technologies, law enforcement agencies are interested in actively engaging individuals with specialized knowledge from various fields of science and technology to effectively detect and investigate crimes promptly. The widespread use of advanced scientific and technical achievements with the involvement of specialists has become an important task already at the stage of forming operational information about a crime, its methods, and the individuals involved, to enhance the efficiency of pre-trial proceedings. Since it is impossible for those engaged in evidence collection to possess expertise in all fields, it is necessary to involve individuals with specialized knowledge who can employ a wide range of non-procedural methods to promptly solve crimes. However, not all individuals possessing such specialized knowledge have the procedural status of a "specialist." The analyzed opinions of legal scholars suggest that such knowledge is applied within the framework of official activities and is associated with engaging specialists in a general context, rather than within the framework of criminal procedure. This knowledge can be used not only for consultation but also for obtaining evidentiary information before initiating a criminal case, which, according to some researchers, is particularly characteristic of operational investigative activities, although it contradicts current legislation. The arguments presented indicate that relying solely on procedural forms of obtaining evidentiary information is impractical, as it ignores non-procedural methods, potentially leading to a biased approach in utilizing specialized knowledge. The legality of using evidentiary information obtained through such methods is also a subject to doubt. The described examples of implementing specialized knowledge represent a combination of procedural and non-procedural methods of evidence collection.