CRIMES AGAINST FOREST RESOURCES COMMITTED IN COMPLICITY (ARTICLE 246 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE OF UKRAINE): ANALYSIS OF JUDICIAL PRACTICE
Abstract
Abstract. This article presents a comprehensive criminal law analysis of illegal logging committed in complicity, taking into account current challenges in environmental security and the specific features of law enforcement. The relevance of the study stems from the high degree of social danger posed by such crimes, the prevalence of organized forms, the substantial economic losses, and significant environmental harm that affect the state of the natural environment and undermine the effectiveness of national environmental protection policies. The aim of the research is to clarify the criminal law nature and qualification features of illegal logging committed in complicity, and to develop proposals for improving both criminal legislation and its practical application. The methodological basis of the research combines formal legal, comparative legal, systemic-structural, and logical legal methods, enabling an analysis of both the regulatory framework and the practice of its application by courts of various instances. Special attention is given to judicial decisions regarding the establishment of direct intent, particularly in cases involving crimes committed within territories of the nature reserve fund, as well as to the challenges of proving an offender’s awareness of a plot’s special legal status. The study identified a number of conflicts and gaps, including issues concerning the definition of substantial damage, the distinction between illegal logging and related offences (such as theft or the destruction or damage of vegetation), the evaluation of motive, and specific aspects of the liability of officials authorized to protect forest resources. It is argued that the institution of special exemption from criminal liability, provided for in Part Six of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, when applied appropriately, can serve as an effective tool for dismantling stable criminal associations; however, it requires clear guarantees of voluntariness and genuine cooperation. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the systematic integration of environmental law and criminal law approaches to the analysis of illegal logging committed in complicity, taking into account recent judicial practice, as well as in the development of original proposals for legislative reform. The practical significance lies in the potential use of the study’s findings to improve the quality of pre-trial investigations and judicial proceedings, refine methodological guidelines for law enforcement agencies, and assist in the preparation of scientific-practical commentaries and educational materials.
Keywords: criminal offences against the environment; illegal logging; complicity in a crime; substantial damage; organized criminal associations; perpetrator; exemption from criminal liability.
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References
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