The role of criminal offense in reducing the level of criminal repression: position of legislator, scientific community and law enforcement officials

The author of the research examines problematic issues related to the need to introduce the institution of criminal offense into the criminal law system of modern Russia as one of the components of strict observance of the principle of justice and individualisation of criminal responsibility and punishment, taking into account the directions of modern Russian criminal policy. The relevant draft laws that are already available to date are being analysed, which also propose legislative solutions for such an addition to the criminal law, indicating differences in the solutions proposed by the author. The ways of increasing the effectiveness of the current criminal law system are proposed in the case of a positive decision by the legislator to introduce the institution of criminal offense.