The evolution of the concept of justice as an object of criminal law protection in the national legal doctrine in the second half of the 20th century

Introduction: the article analyzes the evolution of theoretical views on justice as an object of criminal law protection. Chapter 31 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for criminal liability for crimes against justice. Justice as an object of criminal law protection was legislated for the first time in the 1960 RSFSR Criminal Code, and from that regulatory act different views on the content of this concept began to form in the national jurisprudence. Purpose: research into the notion of justice has a short history in national legal thought and dates back to the second half of the 20th century; therefore, it is necessary to carefully examine the existing approaches to its definition. Methods: the methodological framework of this study is based on a set of methods of scientific cognition, among which the dialectical method is the major one. Both general scientific methods (dialectical method, methods of analysis and synthesis, abstraction and concretization) and specific scientific methods (formal legal, comparative legal, technical legal methods) are used. Results: the idea of justice emerged in the second half of the 20th century and is reflected in Chapter 8 of the RSFSR Criminal Code of1960 "Offences against justice ". Since then, there have been two groups of views on the concept under consideration: in terms of criminal law and in terms of criminal proceedings.In the Soviet legal science, this issue, namely the concept of justice content analysis, was developed by such scholars as I.S. Vlasov and I.M. Tyazhkova, S.S. Rashkovskaya, I.Ya. Kul''berg, S.I. Tikhenko, and others. Among Russian scientists, it is worth mentioning A.I. Chuchaeva, L. V. Lobanov, and others. Conclusions: considering the concept of justice in the context of the relevant criminal legislation, Soviet and post-Soviet researchers based on the content of chapters of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR and the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, regulating the liability for crimes against justice. Therefore, justice was interpreted broadly, as resolution of legal issues by specially formed state authorities and application of state coercive measures to persons having committed illegal acts, if necessary. In terms of criminal procedure, throughout the period under consideration justice have been understood as judiciary activity on hearing and resolution of criminal and civil cases.