Ensuring Rights and Legitimate Interests of Minors by Means of Criminal Law
Abstract
Minors represent a social group which requires enhanced protection, including by means of criminal law. The personal characteristics of minors and particular qualities of their rights and legitimate interests have an impact on the rules of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which protect the rights and legitimate interests of minor victims and provide for measures of influence on persons aged from 14 to 18 who committed acts prohibited by criminal law. No criminal law measures can be applied to persons who have not reached the age at which criminal responsibility occurs and to persons who violated the criminal law prohibition in the state of “age-related insanity” in accordance with part 3 of art. 20 of the Criminal Code. This has symbolic and practical significance. The article reveals such characteristics of minors as the unformed system of values, increased suggestibility, impulsiveness, inability to properly assess the situation and other, as well as the main features of their rights and legitimate interests. It is stated that the criminal law is designed not only to establish responsibility for infringements on minors and provide for protection of their rights by competent agencies, but also to protect the family from arbitrary interference in its life by other persons, including child protection services, since upbringing in the family is considered as an independent and important legitimate interest of the minor. The thesis about the diminished culpability of a minor compared with adults is proved. This thesis and other features, including the increased ability to positive changes in their behavior, explain the reduction of the terms of punishment, the broaden options for relief from criminal responsibility and punishment, and the existence of other special legal rules in the Criminal Code. It is argued that there is a need to clarify the concept of “age-related insanity”, conduct further research and implement the alternative measures of influence on minors who committed an act prohibited by criminal law, including those provided for by other branches of law. Such measures can help to avoid the negative consequences of applying criminal punishment to minors. This approach corresponds to their interests and the interests of the society as a whole.
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