Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology

Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology was founded in June 2002 in the International Law School of MGIMO in light of the increase in terrorist activities throughout the world, new threats and challenges to international legal order, the further growth of transnational organized crime, what determined the need for in-depth training in the anti-crime disciplines for international law students.

Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Law, Professor A. S. Podshibyakin was the founder of the department and its first head (2002–2014). Since February 2014, the department was led by Doctor of Law A. A. Malinovsky, who specializes in comparative criminal law. Since May 2018, the head of the department is Doctor of Law A. G. Volevodz.

Despite the relatively short history, the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology is the core of the emerging school of comparative and international criminal law at MGIMO University now.

This became possible due to the fact that, since its foundation, teaching and research activities of the department is conducted by both well-known jurists and young, promising professors and teachers, many of whom combine scientific and educational activities with legal practice.

The head of the department, Doctor of Laws A. G. Volevodz, is the author of works on contemporary problems of criminal law and criminal procedure.

His study of the legal, methodological and organizational framework for the international investigation, seizure and confiscation of money and property obtained by criminal means, as well as proceeds from criminal activity, marked the beginning of large-scale activities of domestic law enforcement agencies for arrest abroad and return to Russia of assets, obtained by criminal means.

The outcomes of his research are widely implemented in the practice of the Russian law enforcement agencies, applied with his participation during creation of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters (1999), the Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters (Chisinau, 2002), the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the model laws of the Commonwealth of Independent States, such as «On parliamentary control over the state’s military organization», «On participation (of the CIS member state) in peacekeeping operations», «On counteracting mercenary activities in the CIS member state», the project of the UN Convention on the control, supervision and monitoring of private military and security companies (2010-2011), the legislation on the integration of the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol in the legal system of Russia (2014).

Doctor of Law, Professor, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (retired) V. V. Doroshkov, specializing in the field of the Russian magistrates’ courts, was at the forefront of creating the magistrates’ courts system in modern Russia and made a great scientific contribution to the formation of the doctrine of its legal regulation and activity.

Doctor of Law, Professor E. L. Sidorenko conducted a study of a wide range of problems of victimology, sociology and methodology of criminal law. She is a well-known expert in the implementation of anti-corruption standards of international organizations (UN, GRECO, OECD) into the Russian legal system, a leading domestic expert in the development of legal frameworks and regulatory mechanisms in the digital sphere. Professor E. L. Sidorenko in the head of the Center of digital economy and financial innovations of MGIMO university.

The stuff of the department pays considerable attention to the preparation of textbooks and other teaching materials on the criminal law disciplines.

In particular, A. G. Volevodz for the first time in Russia prepared and published the anthology «The Modern System of International Criminal Justice» (2009), which was highly appreciated by domestic experts in international criminal law. He is the author of the textbooks «European Union Institutions and Bodies on Judicial and Police Cooperation» (2010), «International Law Enforcement Agencies» (2011), took part in writing a textbook for MGIMO «Modern International Relations» (2012).

Professor A. V. Grinenko has written textbooks: «Law Enforcement Bodies of the Russian Federation» (2004, 2008 and 2013), «Criminal Procedure» (2008, 2009 and 2013), «Criminal Procedure. A textbook for bachelors» (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), «The bar in the Russian Federation» (2013), widely used in the educational process of both the International Law School of MGIMO and other Russian law schools. Professor V. V. Doroshkov is the author of the chapters in the textbooks «Law enforcement agencies of Russia: a textbook for universities» (2011, 2013, 2018), «Law of Criminal Procedure» (2013). Professor A. A. Malinovsky wrote a basic textbook «Comparative Criminal Law» (2014) for the master degree program.

The stuff of the department is also widely known for their scientific-practical publications. For example, professor A. V. Grinenko published «Commentary on the Federal Law on the Lawyer’s Activity and the Bar in the Russian Federation» (2004, 2018), «Commentary on the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation» (2006, 2007, 2017) and the scientific-practical material «Guide on Crime Investigation» (2008), professor V. V. Doroshkov published «Guide for magistrate judges. Cases of private prosecution» (2001), «Handbook for magistrate judges».

In 2003, the department opened a graduate school for training of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel in the specialties 12.00.08 — criminal law and criminology; penal law; 12.00.09 — criminal procedure.

Education in graduate school serves as a platform for the training of personnel reserve of the department. For instance, in 2005 R. V. Bagdasarov successfully defended his thesis for the degree of candidate of laws on the topic «The principle of competition in the criminal procedure in Russia and the EU» (prof. A. S. Podshibyakin as a scientific adviser) and worked in the department. V. V. Dubrovin in 2010 successfully defended a thesis on the topic: «Compensation for crime harm in criminal proceedings (domestic, foreign, international experience of legal regulation)» (A. G. Volevodz as a scientific adviser). The results of the research are well-known in the legal community and are successfully used in the educational process.

The department initiated complex scientific researches by its graduate students. For instance, E. V. Klimova successfully defended her thesis for the degree of candidate of law in two specialties (12.00.09 — criminal procedure and 12.00.10 — international law, European law) on the topic «Legal basis of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters in European Union law» (prof. A. S. Podshibyakin as a scientific adviser). Graduate student E. I. Damirchev prepared and defended her thesis in the same specialties on the topic «European Union member states in the field of criminal justice. Theoretical and practical aspects» (A. G. Volevodz as a scientific adviser).

In October 2018, due to acquisition by MGIMO University of the right to independently award candidate and doctoral degrees, the department forms dissertation councils for defense of theses in the specialty 12.00.09 — criminal procedure.

The department regularly pays attention to the development of research activity by students. Since 2009, on the initiative and active participation of associate professor, candidate of law V. V. Dubrovin with the assistance of the Secretariat of the Moscow International Model UN, the Model of UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is being organized with involvement of MGIMO students and students of other Russian universities and universities of foreign countries. Moot criminal proceedings, organized under scientific advice of A. G. Volevodz, became a good tradition of the department. The stuff of the department works as moderators of the section of comparative criminal law of the Russian Conference of Young Researchers in Comparative Law, which is held annually at MGIMO.

The professors of the department work closely with law enforcement agencies, the Department of New Challenges and Threats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Federal Bar association of Russia. Professors A. V. Grinenko and A. G. Volevodz are members of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Professor E. L. Sidorenko works actively as a member of the Expert Council of the Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption and the Financial Market Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, participates in the Expert Council on Criminal Policy of the Federation Council, the Expert Council on the digital economy and blockchain technologies of the State Duma; Council on anti-corruption issues under the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.

Since 2007, the department with publishing group «Lawyer» publishes scientific and practical journal «International criminal law and international justice» included in the List of reviewed editions of the HAC of Russia), headed by the editor-in-chief A. V. Grinenko. Professor V. V. Doroshkov is the editor-in-chief of the journal «Magistrate judge». The professors of the department participate actively as speakers at various Russian and international legal roundtable discussions and scientific conferences, such as Saint Petersburg International Legal Forum, Moscow Criminal Law Congress, Kutafin Readings, Annual conference on legal technique (Nizhny Novgorod) etc.

The department plans to develop new areas of research, to introduce new courses for MGIMO educational programs and to expand postgraduate programs.