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CONCEPTIONS OF SELF-DEFENSE IN THE CRIMINAL LAW OF THE RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES
Corresponding Author(s) : Oleg N. Dunin
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 7 No. 6 (2019): November
Abstract
Purpose: This article is devoted to the analysis of the concepts of self-defense in the criminal law of Russia and the USA. The Russian Federation has developed a negative law enforcement practice in the field of implementation of the norms on necessary defense. Persons protecting themselves and their loved ones from criminals and causing harm to criminals who commit an attack are often prosecuted for violating the principle of proportionality of defense and attack, which under current law qualifies as exceeding the limits of necessary defense.
Methodology: In the United States, criminal law provides citizens with ample opportunity to take defensive actions against criminal attacks. The basic doctrinal provisions of the institution of self-defense in the legal systems of Russia and the USA are considered. Under Russian criminal law, with the help of the institute of necessary defense, less specific rights are protected.
Result: This leaves a wide scope for interpretation; law enforcement officials interpret the necessary defense in a limited way, not in the interests of the defenders.
Implications/Applications: US criminal law proceeds from opposing assumptions, with the help of legitimate self-defense, not abstract rights are protected, but specific benefits: life, health, sexual integrity, the inviolability of the home; which allows for an unambiguous interpretation in the interests of defenders.
Novelty/Originality: The article formulated proposals for the reception of the provisions of American criminal law into Russian law.as a result of which the criminal law should casually fix situations in which the necessity defense is possible and stipulates its limits.
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- A Casebook on Roman Property Law. (2012). Herbert Hausmaninger, Richard Gamauf. Oxford University Press; 1 edition. 384 p.
- Orekhov, V. V. (2002). Necessary defense and other circumstances precluding criminal acts. - SPb., 217p.
- Kolosovsky, V. V. (2014). Qualification errors in the criminal law assessment of necessary defense: theory and practice. Management in modern systems, 4, 14.
- Nikulenko, A. V. (2019). Circumstances excluding crime acts: conceptual foundations of criminal law regulation: dis. of the Dr. of legal sciences. St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, P.193.
- Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2012 N 19 "On the application by the courts of legislation on the necessary defense and harm during the detention of the person who committed the crime". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. October 2012. October 3 (No. 5900).
- McClellan, C. B., & Tekin, E. (2012). Stand your ground laws, homicides, and injuries (No. w18187). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w18187 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w18187
- The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation of 13.06.1996 N 63-F3. [Electronic resource]. - URL: http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&nd=102041891&intelsearch=%F3%E3%EE%EB%EE%E2%ED%FB%E9%F4+%EA%EE%E4 % E5% EA% F1. (Date of treatment: 06/12/2019.).
- Sentence of self-defense. (2019). Russian newspaper. - URL: http://www.rg.ru/2005/06/08/samooborona.html. (Date: 06/11/2019.)
- Fletcher, G. P. (1998). Basic concepts of criminal law. Oxford University Press.
- Model Penal Code. (2019). Available at: https://home.heinonline.org/titles/American-Law-Institute-Library/Model-Penal-Code/?letter=M (06/12/2019)
- Carpenter, C. L. (2002). Of the Enemy Within, the Castle Doctrine, and Self-Defense. Marq. L. Rev., 86, 653.
- People, V. (1914). Tomlins, 107 N.E. 496.
- Ward, C. V. (2014). Stand your ground and self-defense. Am. J. Crim. L., 42, 89. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2545579 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2545579
- Cheng, C., & Hoekstra, M. (2013). Does strengthening self-defense law deter crime or escalate violence? Evidence from expansions to castle doctrine. Journal of Human Resources, 48(3), 821-854. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhr.2013.0023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jhr.2013.0023
- Gelman, A. (2019). Stand Your Ground Laws and Homicides, STATISTICAL MODELING, CAUSAL INFERENCE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE. Available at: http://andrewgelman.com/2012/06/27/stand-your-ground-laws-and-homicides/.(Jun 12, 2019)
- Gillespie, C. K. (1989). Justifiable homicide: Battered women, self-defense, and the law (p. 129). Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
- Schneider, E. M. (1980). Equal rights to trial for women: Sex bias in the law of self-defense. Harv. CR-CLL Rev., 15, 623.
- Kleck, G., & Gertz, M. (1995). Armed resistance to crime: the prevalence and nature of self-defense with a gun. J. Crim. L. & Criminology, 86, 150. https://doi.org/10.2307/1144004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1144004
- O'Connell, M. E. (2001). Lawful self-defense to terrorism. U. Pitt. L. Rev., 63, 889.
- Ewing, C. P. (1987). Battered women who kill: Psychological self-defense as legal justification. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
References
A Casebook on Roman Property Law. (2012). Herbert Hausmaninger, Richard Gamauf. Oxford University Press; 1 edition. 384 p.
Orekhov, V. V. (2002). Necessary defense and other circumstances precluding criminal acts. - SPb., 217p.
Kolosovsky, V. V. (2014). Qualification errors in the criminal law assessment of necessary defense: theory and practice. Management in modern systems, 4, 14.
Nikulenko, A. V. (2019). Circumstances excluding crime acts: conceptual foundations of criminal law regulation: dis. of the Dr. of legal sciences. St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, St. Petersburg, P.193.
Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2012 N 19 "On the application by the courts of legislation on the necessary defense and harm during the detention of the person who committed the crime". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. October 2012. October 3 (No. 5900).
McClellan, C. B., & Tekin, E. (2012). Stand your ground laws, homicides, and injuries (No. w18187). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w18187 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3386/w18187
The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation of 13.06.1996 N 63-F3. [Electronic resource]. - URL: http://pravo.gov.ru/proxy/ips/?docbody=&nd=102041891&intelsearch=%F3%E3%EE%EB%EE%E2%ED%FB%E9%F4+%EA%EE%E4 % E5% EA% F1. (Date of treatment: 06/12/2019.).
Sentence of self-defense. (2019). Russian newspaper. - URL: http://www.rg.ru/2005/06/08/samooborona.html. (Date: 06/11/2019.)
Fletcher, G. P. (1998). Basic concepts of criminal law. Oxford University Press.
Model Penal Code. (2019). Available at: https://home.heinonline.org/titles/American-Law-Institute-Library/Model-Penal-Code/?letter=M (06/12/2019)
Carpenter, C. L. (2002). Of the Enemy Within, the Castle Doctrine, and Self-Defense. Marq. L. Rev., 86, 653.
People, V. (1914). Tomlins, 107 N.E. 496.
Ward, C. V. (2014). Stand your ground and self-defense. Am. J. Crim. L., 42, 89. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2545579 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2545579
Cheng, C., & Hoekstra, M. (2013). Does strengthening self-defense law deter crime or escalate violence? Evidence from expansions to castle doctrine. Journal of Human Resources, 48(3), 821-854. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhr.2013.0023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jhr.2013.0023
Gelman, A. (2019). Stand Your Ground Laws and Homicides, STATISTICAL MODELING, CAUSAL INFERENCE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE. Available at: http://andrewgelman.com/2012/06/27/stand-your-ground-laws-and-homicides/.(Jun 12, 2019)
Gillespie, C. K. (1989). Justifiable homicide: Battered women, self-defense, and the law (p. 129). Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
Schneider, E. M. (1980). Equal rights to trial for women: Sex bias in the law of self-defense. Harv. CR-CLL Rev., 15, 623.
Kleck, G., & Gertz, M. (1995). Armed resistance to crime: the prevalence and nature of self-defense with a gun. J. Crim. L. & Criminology, 86, 150. https://doi.org/10.2307/1144004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1144004
O'Connell, M. E. (2001). Lawful self-defense to terrorism. U. Pitt. L. Rev., 63, 889.
Ewing, C. P. (1987). Battered women who kill: Psychological self-defense as legal justification. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.