Assessment of trends in understanding the reasonable time frame in criminal proceedings. Perspectives on improving the timelines of the pre-trial investigation stage

This article attempts to highlight a number of practical issues in the law enforcement practice of preliminary investigation bodies, including the proportionality of objectively necessary terms of preliminary investigation to the initially established legal timeframe. The departmental procedural activities of the head of the investigative body regarding the implementation of procedural deadlines at the considered stage of the criminal process are quite specifically regulated, as reflected in both federal law and numerous normative acts of law enforcement agencies. Despite this, current statistical data and substantial personal practical experience indicate that preliminary investigation periods are often unreasonably lengthy, exceeding the two-month period established by criminal procedural law. These circumstances may indicate, for example, improper work in investigating criminal cases and corresponding departmental procedural control, as well as provide grounds for discussions on reforming criminal procedural law and relevant departmental normative acts, which prompted the author to undertake this research. The methodological basis of the study consists of general scientific and specialized methods for acquiring new knowledge: historical and systemic. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the specific and relevant proposals formulated for improving legislation and departmental normative acts. The article concludes that despite different approaches to assessing the sufficiency of the preliminary investigation period and possibly the prospects for improving the legislation in this regard, the applicant's position is that a properly organized departmental procedural control, both ongoing and subject-based, when addressing requests for extending the preliminary investigation period, can qualitatively enhance investigative work in this area. The practice, which includes conducting working meetings to review each request for extending the preliminary investigation period with specific proposals for planning official activities in investigating the criminal case, could not only prevent possible violations of legality but also motivate the investigator to expedite the completion of the preliminary investigation.