FEATURES OF PREPARATION OF MATERIALS AND APPOINTMENT OF FORENSIC HANDWRITING EXAMINATION DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF PROFIT-DRIVEN CRIMINAL OFFENSES

The article is devoted to examining the specific aspects of preparing materials and appointing forensic handwriting examination during the investigation of profit-driven criminal offenses. It has been established that in criminal proceedings related to such offenses free handwriting samples are not always made available to the expert. This is due to both objective and subjective reasons. Objective ones include difficulties in obtaining materials containing free handwriting samples, caused by the temporary occupation of certain territories, the destruction of residential and office buildings in various regions of Ukraine, and the relocation of institutional and organizational document archives from areas close to the frontline to safer regions. Subjective reasons include investigators’ reluctance to obtain the investigating judge’s authorization and to carry out the relevant procedural actions.It is noted that, in the course of criminal proceedings on profit-driven offenses, free handwriting samples are usually obtained from handwritten autobiographies, applications, reports, explanations, journal entries, and other official documents produced by the person in question. These documents are typically seized from the institution or organization where the likely author of the disputed writing or signature currently works (worked) or studies (studied).It is emphasized that if a person suspected of producing the disputed handwritten text or signature refuses to provide experimental handwriting samples, the investigator must take all possible measures to obtain free or conditionally free samples. The current practice of issuing rulings by investigating judges to forcibly collect experimental handwriting samples is considered to contradict the law and common sense.A typical list of questions to be addressed by a handwriting identification examination during the investigation of profit-driven criminal offenses is provided. When collecting samples for comparative analysis and formulating questions for the expert, it is recommended that the investigator seek assistance from a qualified specialist in forensic handwriting analysis.