Implementation of the principle of humanism in criminal law policy

In order to assess the implementation of the principle of humanism in the criminal law policy of modern Russia, the author investigates the regulatory consolidation, doctrinal interpretation and legislative adjustments of the norms of the criminal law. For a correct understanding of the principle of humanism and clarification of its specifics in relation to the problem under consideration, a number of areas of state activity are identified within the framework of the implementation of criminal policy, formed in the form of successive stages of the fight against crime. Analysis of the change in the sanction, Part 1, Art. 204 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation made it possible to assert that it is proposed to refer to the actions of the legislator as «inconsistent, but in general meeting the requirements of the principle of humanism» as the most correct, whereas a number of legislative adjustments (for example, reduction of both the upper and lower limits of the fine multiplicity) «are within the limits» of humanistic principles, while other changes (for example, the increase of the maximum sentence of imprisonment from two to three years in the period from 2008 to 2016) can be called humane is rather debatable. An ambiguous assessment is given to the implementation of the principle of humanism in the context of legislative adjustments to circumstances mitigating and aggravating punishment. Facts of exclusion of repetition; adjustments of Part 1 of Art. 62 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as to the reduction of the imposed punishment when one of the actions provided for in paragraph “i” or paragraph “k” of Part 1 of Art. 61 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is committed, and regarding the scope of the imposed punishment from three quarters to two thirds; and a number of other legislative innovations can be attributed to manifestations of legislative humanism. At the same time, the inclusion in the list of aggravating circumstances of the commission of an deliberate crime by an employee of the internal affairs body, as well as the commission of a crime in order to promote, justify and support terrorism, is considered debatable as actions in accordance with the principle of humanism.