In July 2021, Sweden introduced the criminal offence 'violation of a child's integrity' (Barnfridsbrott, Swedish Penal Code, Chap. 4 § 3), making perpetrators criminally responsible for a separate offence when children, under certain circumstances, witness violence and other criminal acts committed by and against persons close to them. This archival study examined case characteristics and legal outcomes in prosecuted cases of violation of a child's integrity. The material included 200 Swedish court cases handled between 2023 and 2024 involving 321 children. Data extracted from court documents were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multilevel logistic regression models. For 73% of the children, a conviction was reached on at least one count. Challenges for the prosecution included substantiating the underlying offence and proving beyond reasonable doubt that the child had witnessed that offence. Convictions were more likely in cases when defendants admitted guilt (OR=12.09, 95% CI [0.72, 204.27], p=.009) or when technical/forensic evidence was present (OR=2.69, 95% CI [1.14, 6.39], p=.025), and less likely when the injured party to the underlying offence did not participate or retracted a statement (OR=0.37, 95% CI [0.12, 0.98], p=.046). The results reveal both strengths and limitations in the legal application of the new legislation in cases involving children who witness violence.

The article is devoted to law-making activities in the field of combating pornography in Ukraine in the context of European integration and the Russian-Ukrainian war. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the legislator is forced to respond to threats to privacy and manifestations of digital violence against individuals. An analysis of the draft Law of Ukraine No. 14165 of 29 October 2025 has made it possible to formulate the reasons for revising the traditional approach to the criminalisation of actions involving pornographic items (Article 301 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The prospects for further criminalisation of the most socially dangerous manifestations of pornography circulation (exploitation, coercion, involvement of minors, distribution of materials without the consent of the person) are substantiated. Particular attention is paid to the innovation of draft law No. 14165 – the introduction of a special provision on liability for the illegal distribution of intimate materials and sexual content without the consent of the victim, in particular in the forms of «revenge porn» and the use of artificial intelligence technologies (deepfake). The article summarises European experience, which is dominated by a model of partial legalisation of the circulation of «adult» content, while strengthening criminal law protection of children and prohibiting violent forms of pornography production. The study argues that the definition of the limits of criminalisation should be based on standards of privacy protection (constitutional guarantees and approaches of the European Convention on Human Rights), as well as on the principle of proportionality of state intervention. It concludes that draft law No. 14165 is generally in line with current European trends and could contribute to the harmonisation of national criminal legislation with the EU acquis, but that some of its provisions need further refinement. Keywords: adaptation, draft law, criminalisation, criminal offence, morality, pornographic material, privacy, sexual freedom.

The influence of extreme weather events on social stability is increasingly acknowledged as a critical and pressing concern. Utilizing data on the criminal offenses, extreme climate conditions, and socio-economic indicators from counties and cities in Hunan Province for the period 2014-2018, this study systematically examines the impact of extreme heavy rainfall events on crime. By integrating a standardized crime intensity index, spatial autocorrelation analysis, grey correlation analysis, and a panel data model, the research comprehensively analyzes the underlying mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics of this relationship. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Heavy rainfall exerts a discernible influence on the spatial distribution of crime, especially in agricultural regions such as Ningxiang and Dongkou. In these areas, the interruption of farming activities caused by intense precipitation appears to increase susceptibility to criminal incidents. (2) Extended rainfall events are associated with elevated crime rates, increasing by approximately 0.374 percent for each 1 percent increase in storm duration. In contrast, variations in rainfall intensity show no substantial influence on crime incidence. (3) Socio-economic conditions, including population mobility, GDP per capita, and the proportion of tertiary industry, further complicate this relationship by amplifying the influence of rainfall under specific contextual settings. The findings provide tailored strategies for preventing crime in regions that are particularly vulnerable to disruptions in agricultural production.

The relevance of this study is that today the work of the police is based on the principle of the rule of law, which considers the highest values ​​of a person, his rights and freedoms, and also reveals the content and orientation of the development of the state as a whole. People need help and protection from the police, therefore, an adequate response to public appeals, the ability to properly communicate with different social groups, and prevent conflict situations should be considered the most important skills of a police officer. In our opinion, special attention should be paid to the least protected children who are under the influence of adults and who do not have the opportunity to independently ask for help, do not have the knowledge and skills to protect their rights. Today, there is an increase in cases of children getting into dangerous situations, an increase in the number of cases of violence against a child, etc. Therefore, all this determines the need to conduct a study of the psychological aspects of the personality of a juvenile offender as a participant in pre-trial proceedings and to reveal the need for the participation of a psychologist in it. The purpose of the study is to determine the structure of the role of a psychologist in the process of interrogation of minors. In the process of writing this article, the following methods were used: analysis and synthesis (allowed us to dissect the role of a psychologist into separate functions and their subsequent combination to understand the holistic picture), comparative legal method (facilitated the comparison of Ukrainian legislation with international standards (for example, the experience of the “Green Room” model), generalization and systematization (made it possible to classify existing scientific views on the status of a psychologist in the criminal process). The functions of a psychologist, criteria for involvement and risks are structured. It is determined that the systematization of the functions of a specialist allows us to assert that his role goes beyond passive observation and covers diagnostic and preparatory, communicative and protective areas. The psychologist acts not only as an evaluator of the child’s cognitive abilities, but also as an active facilitator who adapts legal language to the age norm and ensures the emotional safety of the participant, preventing his retraumatization. At the same time, the criteria for involving a psychologist need to be expanded. Thus, in addition to the formal age limit, the mandatory participation of the psychologist should be determined by the nature of the criminal offense (in particular, in cases of violence), the presence of a traumatic experience or special educational needs in the child. In addition, the compliance of the national interrogation algorithm with world standards, which place significantly higher demands on the role of a psychologist, was investigated.

It is determined that the generic object of property legalization is the sphere of economic activity, which is broad in content and covers both social relations in the sphere of production and social distribution of goods and services, and social relations in the sphere of functioning of economic and financial instruments. The direct object of property legalization is social relations regarding the legal turnover of money and property, which covers certain aspects of economic (economic) turnover - the sphere of turnover of goods (interchangeable goods) and services, which aims to make a profit, and civil turnover - a system of relations, the purpose of which is the free alienation of objects of civil rights or their transfer from one person to another by succession or inheritance or in another way (Article 178 of the Civil Code of Ukraine). A mandatory sign of a criminal offense, provided for in Article 209 of the Criminal Code, is its subject - property, in respect of which the factual circumstances indicate its criminal acquisition. In this case, property should be understood as movable and immovable property, funds (cash and non-cash money in both national and foreign currency), rights to such funds or property, virtual assets, electronic money and other types of assets. It is justified that actions aimed at concealing or masking the illegal origin of funds received as a result of committing a predicate act or possessing them, as well as rights to them, the source of their origin should be understood as any actions of a person by means of which the fact of receiving such funds, which preceded the legalization (laundering) of these incomes, is masked or concealed. Therefore, a mandatory feature of the subjective side of this element of the crime is the special purpose of legalization, i.e. giving a lawful appearance to the possession, use and disposal of funds and property. This clearly distinguishes the legalization of property and the disposal of property obtained by criminal means at one's own discretion. Therefore, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that in modern court practice, cases of identification of legalization of property and disposal of property obtained by criminal means at one's own discretion aren’t identified. It is determined that the direct object of a criminal offense, provided for in Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, must characterize not only social relations that are directly harmed, but also reflect the features of its generic object, which in our case is the sphere of economic activity. Differences in the definition of a specific object and the attribution to it of criminal offenses that are different in their features raise doubts about the possibility of distinguishing universal features of criminal offenses that could be close or homogeneous with the legalization of property obtained by criminal means, with the exception of the criminal offense provided for in Art. 209-1 of the Criminal Code, i.e. intentional violation of the requirements of the legislation on prevention and counteraction to the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime, financing of terrorism and financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And even in this case, in our opinion, the presence of two criminal offenses, as encroaching on the established procedure for preventing and countering the legalization of property, is not enough to determine a specific object. At the same time, this does not refute the possibility of distinguishing specific objects of other criminal offenses in the field of economic activity. At the same time, the possibility of distinguishing a specific object among criminal offenses in the field of economic activity does not mean the possibility and expediency of its separation in relation to all the specified criminal offenses.

The article analyzes the legal statuses of those sentenced to community service and probation, in the order of their imposition, these types of punishments are the most basic. The article also pays special attention to such a means of criminal and correctional influence as release from serving a sentence with probation. In the process of the study, it was established that the legal status of those convicted of domestic violence is of great importance in preventing the commission of a repeated criminal offense during the period of serving the sentence. Legal status is a complex, comprehensive institution that encompasses a number of other institutions. It was found that when imposing a sentence in the form of community service, the court may also impose on the guilty party the obligation to complete a program for offenders, the implementation of which is entrusted to local state administrations and local self-government bodies. The purpose of this program is to change the violent behavior of the offender, the formation of socially acceptable norms and humanistic values. Unlike other punishments not related to deprivation of liberty, the legal status of those sentenced to probationary supervision consists of normatively established provisions contained in the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the court may impose on a person sentenced to this type of punishment the obligation to carry out measures provided for by the probation program, which are implemented by authorized probation bodies. When released from serving a sentence with probation, in order to achieve his goals, the convicted person is subject to certain requirements during the probation period, which he is obliged to fulfill. These provisions are contained in the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine. The court may additionally impose such obligations on persons released from serving a sentence with probation, namely to carry out measures provided for by the probation program. Key words: domestic violence, probation, offenders, legal status of convicted persons, community service, probationary supervision, release from serving a sentence with probation. probation program.

The article provides a criminal-law analysis of one of the most common offenses during martial law in Ukraine – unauthorized leaving of a military unit (hereinafter – AWOL). It examines the legal nature of AWOL, its place among offenses related to violations of military duties, and compares the provisions of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hereinafter – CCU) and the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (hereinafter – CUAO) to distinguish between criminal and administrative liability. Special attention is given to the elements of the AWOL offense under Article 407 CCU: the subject, object, objective and subjective sides, as well as determining the starting point of AWOL as a continuing offense for proper calculation of terms and sentencing. The study also considers law enforcement practice, statistical data, scientific approaches to the temporal limits of AWOL, and legislative changes under martial law, including the possibility of exemption from punishment upon voluntary return to service. The conclusion emphasizes the need to improve legislation to ensure consistency in law enforcement, proportionality of liability, minimization of corruption risks, and a balance between protecting the rights of servicemembers and strengthening discipline during armed conflict. Key words: criminal liability; military criminal offense; Criminal Code of Ukraine; administrative liability; crime qualification; martial law; unauthorized leaving of a military unit; military discipline; continuing offense.

Purpose The need for partnerships has been widely recognised by scholars and practitioners as a step forward to address modern slavery (MS) risks across business operations and supply chains but the rationale for engagement remains underexplored when businesses are involved. Using the context of events, this paper aims to explore the role of partnerships in addressing MS by analysing the perspectives of key actors involved. Risks of MS have been identified in events due to labour practices and reliance on agency workers within complex supply chain management (SCM), but event actors’ perception of partnerships and wider views on MS implications remain unknown. Design/methodology/approach This constructivist research uses narrative analysis to yield new perspectives on the partnership front which inform three narratives depicting partnerships as relationships, solutions or opportunities to address MS. Findings This study finds that engagement with external stakeholders is regarded proactively, reactively and even with reluctance by some actors. It concludes that the role of partnership is not consistently understood by all stakeholders involved and that interpretations of partnerships are rooted in individuals’ definitions of MS. Research limitations/implications The underrepresentation of internal stakeholders within event companies may constrain the transferability of the findings. While the value of sector specific research stands, future research should engage a broader range of internal and external stakeholders to articulate pathways for implementing partnership approaches to addressing MS. Practical implications This study highlights that practitioners should use accurate MS and human rights terminology to raise awareness, improve risk identification and strengthen organisational responses. Event-sector stakeholders and partners can move from awareness to action by embedding MS specific terminology, supplier codes of conduct, risk assessments and KPIs into partnership and supply chain governance, with lessons transferable to other high-risk service sectors. Originality/value This study offers a contribution by uncovering how fragmented understandings of MS and diverse interpretations of partnerships − shaped by whether MS is seen as a compliance issue, human rights concern or criminal offence − create conflicting motivations and barriers to effective collaboration in the events sector and its supply chains. It contributes to MS in business and SCM scholarship by providing original insight into how vague, business-friendly language obscures labour exploitation risks and limits businesses’ preparedness for relational governance and partnership engagement.

This study aims to analyze the regulation of criminal sanctions against tax evaders from the perspective of legal certainty and to formulate future criminal law policies that are more effective in protecting state revenue. This research employs a normative juridical method with conceptual, statutory, and case approaches, relying on primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials analyzed through inventory, systematization, and interpretation techniques. The findings indicate that the regulation of criminal sanctions in Indonesian tax law still faces issues of normative ambiguity, particularly in distinguishing between administrative violations and criminal offenses, as well as the absence of explicit regulation on tax avoidance practices. Furthermore, the application of the ultimum remedium principle weakens the deterrent effect, as administrative settlements are prioritized over criminal enforcement. This condition results in suboptimal protection of state revenue and undermines legal certainty. Therefore, a reformulation of tax criminal law policy is necessary to clarify legal norms, strengthen the repressive function of criminal sanctions, and ensure consistent law enforcement to support fiscal stability.

This paper explores the ‘criminalisation’ of asylum in recent UK law and policy, most notably the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act (NABA) and 2023 Illegal Migration Act (IMA), and the ways in which this framework has fed through into recent legislative and policy measures. Whilst the development and expansion of criminal offences relating to irregular entry and arrival may be considered the most overt form of ‘criminalising’ people on the move, in this paper it is argued that the criminalisation of asylum in the UK today should not only be understood through the prism of crimmigration measures which are expressly penal in nature, but also through an array of measures which, although framed as administrative and civil, are similarly punitive in character and serve the criminal punishment rationale of retribution and deterrence. The legislative framework of the NABA 2022 and IMA 2023 has paved the way for this progressive ‘criminalisation’ by sanctioning those arriving irregularly to the UK to claim asylum. This trend has been continued in recent law and policy, and progressively expanded in a manner that increasingly sanctions refugees for the very fact of having claimed asylum in the UK.

In 1983, an unknown person smuggled blackberry rust (Phragmidium violaceum) into Australia – one of the nation’s most significant biosecurity breaches of the last half-century. Yet unlike most other introductions of novel species in Australia’s recent history, this was welcomed by landowners and media commentators, who hoped this clandestine and illegal action would destroy a hated weed, the blackberry plant. The liberator of this fungal pathogen was never identified; official dissemination of the rust as an agent of biological control soon followed, giving a degree of tacit approval to this person’s actions. This article outlines Australians’ attitudes towards and interactions with blackberry since the nineteenth century and then considers responses to the introduction of violaceum. It contextualises this event in reference to the growth of ‘invasion ecology’ in the 1980s; to the history of biological control in Australia; and to deeper settler-colonial struggles over belonging and civilisation.

The strong correlation between crime and social interaction is implicitly reflected in the Criminal Code (KUH Pidana), which states that crime is essentially rooted in social interaction. And when that interaction causes harm to another party, a crime occurs. This is the premise that describes how the correlation between crime and social interaction is established. When a harmful act is regulated by criminal law, it is no longer categorized as merely a crime but becomes a criminal offense. This definition defines the act as behavior that, at a given time and within a given cultural context, is considered intolerable and must be corrected through the use of legal means. The author's background in formulating the problem in this research is:How is the capability of Correctional Institutions in Preventing Recidivism in Class IIA Langkat Narcotics Prison in an effort to prevent the phenomenon of repeated criminal acts? This research is a normative-empirical research with a live-case study category based on empirical observations of the implementation of provisions of correctional laws and regulations in Class II A Langkat Narcotics Prison to evaluate the effectiveness of the guidance of inmates in it related to efforts to prevent repeated criminal acts (recidive). He acknowledged that repeat offenders in the Class IIA Langkat Narcotics Prison experience annual recidivism. Therefore, he believes recidivism in his area is a common occurrence, as crime, which is a part of society, also accompanies crime. Where there is society, there is law; where there is law, there is crime; and where there is crime, there is recidivism. Therefore, the goal of rehabilitation is not to eliminate recidivism but to minimize it. To prevent character-based recidivism, the Class II A Langkat Narcotics Prison collaborates with Islamic, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist religious leaders to provide regular spiritual guidance. This ensures that mental and spiritual development activities can benefit inmates.

This study aims to analyze the practice of Kizomba dance as criminogenic behavior and to examine the efforts undertaken to address conflicts arising from its practice in Miomaffo Tengah Subdistrict, North Central Timor Regency. This research employs a qualitative method with criminological and sociological approaches, using interviews, observations, and documentation techniques. The findings indicate that the practice of Kizomba dance has generated social reactions in the form of anxiety, tension, and social stigma among segments of the community, as it is perceived to be inconsistent with customary values, norms of decency, and religious teachings upheld within the local society. Although it does not always result in officially reported criminal acts, the practice has the potential to function as a criminogenic factor that triggers latent conflicts, particularly when influenced by alcohol consumption, peer group pressure, and weak social control. Conflict mitigation efforts are carried out through pre-emptive, preventive, and repressive approaches. Pre-emptive measures include legal education and socialization programs conducted by law enforcement authorities in collaboration with traditional and religious leaders. Preventive efforts involve limiting party hours, supervising alcohol consumption, enforcing public order regulations, and promoting local traditional dances as alternative forms of entertainment. Repressive measures are implemented through customary mediation, the application of social and traditional sanctions (Na’opab), and criminal law enforcement when conflicts escalate into criminal offenses. The study concludes that synergy between state law and customary law plays a crucial role in controlling potential conflicts, although strengthening local regulations and enhancing collective community awareness remain necessary for sustainable conflict management.

This study examines the criminal liability of shipping administrative officers (krani) involved in the forgery of shipping documents without physical verification. The analysis refers to Article 263 of the Indonesian Criminal Code and Law No. 17 of 2008 on Shipping. It focuses on the dual role of the krani as both a technical executor and a subject of criminal liability, as illustrated in District Court Decision No. 323/Pid.Sus/2017/PT.DKI. Employing a normative legal method with statutory, conceptual, and comparative approaches, the study draws upon statutory provisions, legal doctrines, and relevant jurisprudence. Findings indicate that shipping officers hold a crucial legal position within corporate responsibility chains. However, the regulatory framework lacks explicit boundaries regarding their authority and liability. The court concluded that the defendant had actively prepared and signed falsified documents without conducting proper verification, fulfilling the elements of criminal offense. Nevertheless, assigning criminal blame solely to lower-level officers may risk abuse of hierarchical power and allow impunity for supervisory officials. The study underscores the need for clearer legal norms delineating criminal responsibility between administrative personnel, superiors, and corporate entities. It recommends strengthening internal controls and implementing continuous compliance training to prevent the unjust criminalization of technical staff lacking substantive decision-making authority.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the capabilities of digital forensics in investigating official offences by integrating international standards and forensic-by-design concepts with Ukrainian criminal procedural legislation. A comparative legal analysis of international and Ukrainian standards of digital forensics revealed a systemic gap between technical standards and procedural and judicial practice, where courts practically do not articulate the requirements for forensically correct handling of digital evidence. The systematic classification of digital traces by types of official offences in criminal legislation allowed systematising specific sources of origin, types of digital traces, and typical threats to the integrity of evidence for each element of official offence in the context of large-scale digitalisation of the public sector. The case study method was used to examine the judicial practice of Ukraine, the United States of America, and Germany regarding the use of digital evidence in cases of official offences, which made it possible to establish the absence of references to international standards of digital forensics in the motivational parts of Ukrainian court decisions and to identify gaps in the procedural design of electronic evidence that make it impossible to verify the authenticity and integrity in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 27037:2012. A four-block algorithm for the digital forensics methodology for investigating official offences related to official forgery (Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) was developed, which includes forensically oriented initial recording of the digital situation, identification of relevant sources of digital evidence, forensically correct acquisition and analysis, and presentation of evidence in court with compliance with the procedures of the chain of custody. The practical significance of the research results lies in the possibility of the use by the legislator to amend criminal procedural legislation, by law enforcement agencies to create specialised units in the field of investigating official offences using digital forensics, as well as by higher education institutions to introduce relevant educational components into legal education

The purpose of the state’s existence is to secure the safety of the community, to confirm the dignity of the people, and to guarantee basic rights. In the case of illegal action of the state, the realization of the state’s obligation to guarantee basic rights can be made only under the premise that sufficient relief of rights can be achieved through state compensation. The same applies if there is damage to the people due to legislative action. The authorized legislative power should not be infinite but should be controlled by checks and balances based on the rule of law, and it would be in line with the practical definition of the rule of law that we are pursuing to guarantee the basic rights of the people through sufficient relief of rights by recognizing state responsibility for legislative illegality. To this end, it is necessary to review the requirements of the National Compensation Act, and the members of the National Assembly’s public service, the illegality of their duties, and the recognition of intentional and negligence are particularly controversial. Since it is difficult to recognize smooth liability for compensation from the perspective of the current national compensation law and the Supreme Court, it is necessary to seek to enhance the possibility of relieving the rights of the people in both legal and theoretical aspects and legal policy. “Freedom of legislative formation” is a value that must be respected, but it cannot be an absolute value in relation to the people, and there are more important constitutional values, so the attitude of the Supreme Court, which has developed a logic that denies the state’s responsibility for this reason, needs to be improved. In the recognition of the negligence of legislators, it is necessary to try objectifying the concept of negligence, recognizing the existence of organizational negligence, estimating the existence of negligence, the jurisprudence of the presumption of correspondence, and understanding based on the theory of self-responsibility. As a precedent, there are implications from Japan and France. In order to realize national responsibility based on the ideological basis of securing social fairness, a national compensation system should be organized and operated to facilitate the recognition of illegality and negligence responsibility if there is damage caused by legislative action. In recent administrative legislative omissions related to the right to access the disabled, the Supreme Court has actively recognized national liability for compensation, which is significant, and legislative solutions to expand the scope of rights relief, such as the revision of the National Compensation Act based on the theory of self-responsibility, are necessary. It is also important to accurately grasp the purpose of delegation of the law, fulfill administrative legislative obligations, and create a structure in which laws can be reorganized in a timely manner in accordance with social changes. The extent to which the liability for compensation for legislative action will be recognized needs to be carefully reviewed based on legal considerations and social agreements, so it should be studied as a continuous task in the future. In addition, institutional supplementation such as legislative impact assessment is needed as an alternative that can prevent damage caused by legislative action before it occurs in the first place. This is because attempts should be made to reduce the possibility of national liability due to legislative illegality by making high-quality legislation by predicting and evaluating the impact, side effects, and budget-related effects of the bill on the country and society in advance. To this end, it is necessary to establish a preliminary impact assessment system such as regulatory impact assessment and supplement it through post-evaluation methods such as the legislative result return system.

Vote-count manipulation is an electoral crime that can undermine the legitimacy of election results and reduce public trust in democratic processes. This study aimed to analyze the legal framework governing the criminal offense of vote-count fraud in general elections in Indonesia, to examine the mechanisms for handling and enforcing the law against such violations, and to assess the application of criminal sanctions under the applicable laws and regulations. This research used a normative legal method with a statutory approach and examined relevant legislation, legal principles. The study found that manipulation of vote-count results was explicitly prohibited and subject to criminal sanctions under Indonesian electoral laws. The enforcement mechanism for electoral crimes was carried out through the Integrated Law Enforcement Center (Sentra Gakkumdu), which integrated the roles of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu), the Police, and the Prosecutor’s Office to ensure effective enforcement and legal certainty in handling electoral criminal cases. This study concludes that strengthening the professionalism and integrity of law enforcement officials is essential to prevent and effectively address vote-count fraud in elections, thereby safeguarding democratic legitimacy and public trust in the electoral system.

The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is one of the most promising resource and logistics regions of the state. A significant challenge to its development is the low population density, which hinders the development of necessary infrastructure and the implementation of such crucial geopolitical projects as the Northern Sea Route. The existing social support system in the Arctic regions appears to be insufficient to retain and attract people to permanent residence in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. One of the universal tools for expanding social support in the Arctic regions of Russia could be a universal social payment program, which is essentially similar to the concept of “basic income”. The author examines the successful application of the basic income concept from a socio-demographic point of view in the US state of Alaska, where permanent residents receive annual payments from the Alaska Permanent Fund. The author proposes a mechanism for implementing universal social payments in the Arctic regions of Russia, as well as the legal conditions for receiving such payments. Among the conditions for receiving universal social payments, the author highlights the following: Russian citizenship, permanent residence in the Arctic regions, children attending schools at the place of registration in the Arctic regions, annual medical examinations, participation of unemployed able-bodied citizens in professional retraining programs, and participation of unemployed able-bodied citizens in socially useful activities. The author points out possible grounds for the deprivation of universal social payments, such as the commission of a criminal offense, repeated administrative violations related to the circulation and use of alcohol and drugs.

This study explores the Chivalry Hypothesis to understand the unexplored realm of female criminality within the Nepalese Criminal Justice System. The research employs a longitudinal quantitative research methodology relying on secondary data collected from official publications and reports of Nepalese institutions such as the Department of Prison Management (DOPM), Nepal Kanoon Patrika (NKP), and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). A Chi-square test of independence is used to assess the association between gender and sentencing outcome. The findings reveal that the application of the Chivalry Hypothesis varies across different stages of the criminal justice system (arrest, prosecution, conviction, and sentencing) and offense types. The significant gender disparities are evident in the wide gap between male and female arrest rates, a low number of criminal cases involving female offenders, and the small proportion of the female prison population. The research shows the selective application of the Chivalry Hypothesis to sentencing in Homicide cases only. In the context of the conviction rate, the research finds no evidence of leniency toward the female perpetrators. The findings provide a foundation for further studies on female criminality in Nepal and recommend further research and monitoring mechanisms to assess the application of the Chivalry Hypothesis within the Nepalese Criminal Justice System.

In the context of digital transformation, this article conducts a comparative study on the Vietnamese criminal offence of forgery and use of counterfeit seals and documents in comparison with several civil law regimes. Rooted in the underlying doctrines of protecting public trust and legal certainty, the research utilizes doctrinal analysis and comparative statutory scrutiny to disambiguate the offence’s protected legal interests, constituent elements, and applicable criminal policies. It shows that while all jurisdictions recognize forgery and use of counterfeit seals and documents as acts directly infringing upon public trust, their approaches to electronic documents, digital signatures, and digital seals diverge significantly. Vietnamese criminal law has yet to be fully integrated in terms of forgery or digital forgery law, in particular with regard to the definition and evidentiary status of electronic records. Thus, there is the need to introduce the concepts of ‘electronic document’ and ‘digital seal’ in the Penal Code, explicitly criminalizing forgery and use of these objects, and providing protocols for authentication and the forensic examination of electronic evidence. These interventions would be necessary to reinforce public confidence and ensure legal certainty in the digital age.