Retrospective analysis of the concepts of crime and the subject of crime
The article discusses the history of the development in Russian criminal law of one of the significant elements of the offense – the «subject of the crime», its mandatory features, as well as the concept of «crime». An analysis of the development of Russian criminal legislation allows us to conclude that the formation and improvement of the concepts of crime and the characteristics of the subject of crime occurs depending on the characteristics of the development of the state. The concept of crime first appeared in the 18th century, and finally formed at the beginning of the 20th century, after which it did not undergo significant changes. Determining the age of criminal responsibility is a rather complicated problem that was solved differently in different historical periods. The fundamentals of the criminal legislation of the USSR and Union Republics of 1958 established the provision on criminal liability from 16 years of age, and for certain types of crimes from 14 years of age, which was reflected in the Criminal Code of the RSFSR in 1960 and the Criminal Code of 1996. Further changes only concerned expanding and clarifying the list of crimes for which criminal liability has occurred since 14 years. Despite the fact that sanity is one of the essential features of the subject of a crime, the definition of this concept has not been enshrined in Russian law. In criminal law the opposite term is used – insanity. It should be noted that the Criminal Code of 1996, unlike the previous legislation, contains a more detailed and improved formulation of the concept of insanity.
Keywords: crime; subject of crime; criminal law; age of the subject of the crime; sanity
2. Vladimirskij-Budanov M. V. Obzor istorii russkogo prava [Overview of the history of Russian law]. Rostov-on-Don, 1995.
640 p. (In Russ.).
3. Istoriya gosudarstva i prava Rossii v dokumentah i materialah. S drevnejshih vremen po 1930 g. [The history of the state
and law of Russia in documents and materials. From ancient times to 1930]. Minsk, 2003. 640 p. (In Russ.).
4. Man’kov A. G. Ulozhenie 1649 g. – kodeks feodal’nogo prava Rossii [Laying 1649 – Code of feudal law of Russia].
Moscow, 2003. 317 p. (In Russ.).
5. Pavlov V. G. Sub»ekt prestupleniya [Subject of crime]. Moscow; St. Petersburg, 1999. 318 p. (In Russ.).
6. Rogov V. A. Istoriya gosudarstva i prava Rossii IX – nachala XХ vv. [The history of the state and law of Russia in the 9th –
early 20th centuries]. Moscow, 1995. 263 p. (In Russ.).
7. Rossijskoe zakonodatel’stvo Х–ХХ vekov v 9 tomah. Tom 1. Zakonodatel’stvo Drevnej Rusi [Russian legislation of the
10th–20th centuries in 9 vol. Vol. 1. Legislation of Ancient Russia]. Moscow, 1984. 432 p. (In Russ.).
8. Rossijskoe zakonodatel’stvo Х–ХХ vekov v 9 tomah. Tom 3. Akty Zemskih soborov [Russian legislation of the 10th–20th
centuries in 9 vol. Vol. 3. Acts of Zemsky Cathedrals]. Moscow, 1985. 432 p. (In Russ.).
9. Rossijskoe zakonodatel’stvo Х–ХХ vekov v 9 tomah. Tom 6. Zakonodatel’stvo pervoj poloviny ХIХ veka [Russian legislation
of the 10th–20th centuries in 9 vol. Vol. 6. Legislation of the first half of the ХIХ century]. Moscow, 1988. 432 p. (In Russ.).
10. Rossijskoe zakonodatel’stvo Х–ХХ vekov v 9 tomah. Tom 9. Zakonodatel’stvo epohi burzhuaznyh revolyucij [Russian
legislation of the 10th–20th centuries in 9 vol. Vol. 9. Legislation of the era of bourgeois revolutions]. Moscow, 1994.
352 p. (In Russ.).
11. Sergeevich V. I. Lekcii i issledovaniya po drevnej istorii russkogo prava [Lectures and studies on the ancient history of
Russian law]. Moscow, 2004. 488 p. (In Russ.).
12. Kareev D. S. (red.) Ugolovnoe zakonodatel’stvo Soyuza SSR i soyuznyh respublik (Osnovnye zakonodatel’nye akty)
[Criminal Legislation of the USSR and Union Republics (Basic legislative acts)]. Moscow, 1957. 531 p. (In Russ.).
