2026 Issue №1

The current state of the digitalization of criminal procedure is examined, and an attempt is made to assess the prospects for its further development in the context of the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Specific proposals for reforming criminal procedure legislation are analyzed, and the risk of the emergence of defects caused by the digitalization of criminal procedure is forecast. The author comes to the conclusion that, already at the stage of preparing a draft law, it is necessary to use special training programs capable of predicting the accuracy of embedding new provisions into the body of criminal procedure legislation and the emergence of possible defects. Based on an analysis of existing opinions on the digitaliza­tion of criminal procedure, the author, within the framework of a systemic approach, supports the ideas of forming an electronic criminal case, determining the place of electronic evidence, the need to maintain only an audio recording of court hearings without duplicating the record on paper, and the introduction of augmented reality technology. Relevant amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation are proposed. The author draws attention to the need to transform preliminary investigation bodies and various public authorities in order to ensure electronic interaction via a unified digital platform. Issues of gaps in law have always been the subject of active discussion among both scholars and practitioners. The objec­tives of this study are to identify defects in criminal procedure legislation caused by the digi­talization of criminal procedure and trends in the digitalization of criminal procedural rela­tions, as well as to formulate ways and means of preventing the emergence of various types of defects in criminal procedure legislation, including at the stage of drafting relevant bills. In addition to general scientific research methods, such as the method of theoretical cognition and the method of analysis and synthesis, the study employed comparative legal and formal legal methods, as well as techniques of dialectical logic. Despite the fact that, at present, fun­damental approaches and basic ideas and concepts in this field of knowledge have been formu­lated, modern realities associated with the active introduction of information technologies and elements of artificial intelligence into law receive a new interpretation, taking into account the specifics of the process of systemic integration of information and communication technol­ogies into various areas of legislation, and therefore require timely reconsideration.

The objectives of the study, published in two parts, are to analyze the organizational and tactical features of conducting certain investigative actions and, on this basis, to develop prac­tical recommendations within the framework of tactical and forensic support for the investiga­tion of crimes related to illicit drug trafficking using the Internet. The first part of the article examines interaction between the investigator and inquiry bodies and proposes criteria for the admissibility of assigning tasks by the investigator to inquiry bodies. The article analyzes the tactical features of conducting certain investigative actions, such as crime scene inspection, inspection of objects, as well as searches (seizures). It describes a recommended procedure for the inspection of computers, including the examination of their components and additional devices, such as printers, Wi-Fi routers, etc. Recommendations for the inspection of mobile devices include identifying functional elements; establishing the IMEI identifier; determining the mobile phone model, serial number, operating system, version and firmware, the SIM card phone number, IP and MAC addresses; examining the list of contacts stored in the “phone book”; and reviewing SMS messages.

The article analyzes threats to Russia’s national security arising from the development of illicit drug trafficking through the use of digital technologies. The objectives of the study in­clude a comprehensive analysis of contemporary threats to the national security of the Rus­sian Federation caused by the transformation of illicit drug trafficking under the influence of digitalization processes, as well as an assessment of the effectiveness of existing means and methods of countering this type of crime. The methodological framework of the study is based on a systemic approach, which makes it possible to consider this phenomenon as a multilevel threat, as well as methods of analysis, synthesis, and comparative legal analysis. As a result, the study identifies key systemic challenges, such as the extremely high level of automation, anonymity, and latency of illicit drug trafficking, which significantly complicate the work of law enforcement agencies. In addition, the study emphasizes the high profitability of illicit drug trafficking, which ensures its sustainability and further development. The author con­cludes that the influence of cryptocurrencies on illicit drug trafficking has undergone a sys­temic transformation, given that this type of digital currency should be regarded not merely as a means of payment, but as a genuine tool for enhancing the capacity and operational resil­ience of drug-related crime. The study assesses the key risk of the promotion of illicit drug trafficking in the digital environment, interpreting it as a direct threat to the national securi­ty of the Russian Federation due to the targeted involvement of young people in drug traffick­ing. The main conclusion of the study is that neutralizing these threats primarily requires a systemic rethinking of the foundations of the anti-drug policy of the Russian Federation, in which combating root causes, rather than consequences, becomes the priority.