Evaluation categories in criminal proceedings

The article deals with the problem of insufficient knowledge of evaluation categories in criminal proceedings, analyzes the relevance of the formation of approaches to their understanding and criteria for their application by participants in criminal proceedings. The author draws attention to the systematic appeal of the legislator to the concepts and constructions contained in the norms of criminal procedure law, requiring the law enforcement officer to make a decision relying on such a norm, guided by discretion and assessment of the current situation. Meanwhile, the question of what should serve as a criterion for their legitimate application remains unresolved, and the postulates fixed by the principles of criminal procedure are currently not able to fully ensure the proper application of evaluation categories. At the same time, the formulation by the legislator of the norm of criminal procedure law with the inclusion of evaluation categories in it is due to a number of factors that are analyzed in this article. The author attempts to formulate the definition of evaluation categories in criminal proceedings, as well as to note the directions for improving criminal procedure legislation and law enforcement activities in the aspect of the legitimate and effective application of evaluation categories of this branch of law.