The application of separate criteria for evaluating the expert conclusion by the investigating judge at the pre-trial investigation stage

Abstract

The article highlights that the final stage of forensic examination is evaluation of the expert conclusion by the investigating judge to determine the role and significance of the fact established by the forensic expert and, subsequently, to adopt a fair decision by the court.
 The Article Purpose is to specify evaluation criteria used by the investigating judge when evaluating the expert conclusion at the stage of pre-trial investigation of offenses. The authors have concluded that expert conclusions are subject to evaluation by the investigating judge on the basis of general grounds.
 The article analyzes and provides a detailed description of individual criteria for evaluating expert conclusions (adequacy, admissibility, veracity, objectivity, legality, authenticity, completeness, etc.).
 As a result of carried out research, the need to create a publicly available and legislatively established system of criteria for evaluating expert conclusions has been proven, since the criteria for evaluating the expert conclusion defined by procedural legislation are not exhaustive and do not allow the investigating judge to carry out a comprehensive evaluation not only of the expert conclusions but also of other sources of evidence at the pre-trial investigation stage.