Eliminating lacunae in the timber illegal trafficking and felling investigation (on the practice of the courts of the Zabaikalsky Krai)

Abstract

The present article explores the relevance of the normative context of crimes related to environmental offences of illegal harvesting. The article reviews the practice of the Zabaikalsky Krai Chita District Court in handling criminal cases of this category, and the report emphasises the need for more effective work of law enforcement agencies in investigating criminal acts in the sphere of illegal harvesting and trafficking of criminally extracted timber. The study aims to involve professional organisations and improve cooperation with relevant stakeholders to address the problem of combating illegal harvesting. Methods: comparative-legal; empirical methods of description interpretation; theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic; private-scientific methods: legal-dogmatic and method of interpretation of legal norms. Results: Information on illegal timber turnover, illegal felling and harvesting of forest plantations, and methods of combating the trafficking of forest resources are relevant. This article deals with such vitalissues as illegal timber trafficking, illegal forest felling, and forest plantations. Conclusion: analysing the judicial practice of the courts of the Zabaikalsky Krai in general, having a common border with the People's Republic of China, the article also emphasises the increased social danger associated with these criminal acts and their criminalistic characteristics.