Measures to Improve the Quality of Criminal Justice Authorities of the USSR: Experience of the Mid 1930

Abstract

It is identified that Stalinist authority chose collectivization as solution for USSR key economic problems; however, an issue of political strengthening came to the fore. Protection of state interests required effective performance of criminal justice units – reforming was the only way to achieve this goal. First of all, in 1934 People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs was established as a central law enforcement agency which inherited the functions of republican commissariats (terminated officially in 1930) – State Security Service and Central Militia Department were also incorporated in its structure. In 1933 USSR Prosecution Office was established and in 1936 – People’s Commissariat of Justice. The next step announced was the restoration of rule of law. The common practice of criminal justice units during collectivization period – complete neglection of procedures and regulations – had to be transformed. Many speeches presented during the ХVІІ meeting of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) clearly identified adherence to Criminal Procedure Code as a priority principle for criminal justice agencies. Procedural functions of criminal justice agencies were delimited, institute of preliminary trial was restored together with remission of sentences of second instance courts caused by procedural violations during pre-trial investigation and trial. Improvement of UkrSSR criminal justice professionalism was mostly stimulated by requirement for requalification of criminal justice and establishment of new forensic procedures. High level of personal motivation was also achieved owing to financial and psychological support of the staff. Systemic approach to reforming along with its consistency proved to be resultative: completely new Soviet-type model of criminal justice was created.