Regarding the possibilities and means of legal investigation in criminal proceedings

The article focuses attention on individual provisions of the implementation of the principle of competition in criminal proceedings. The article considers some debatable issues regarding the possibilities and means of collecting and presenting evidence by a lawyer at a pre-trial investigation. The lawyer’s function of gathering and presenting evidence to the investigator, prosecutor, and investigating judge stems from the principle of competition between the prosecution and the defense, which ensures a balance of interests and a fair decision in court. The content and features of the capabilities and means of the defense in collecting and providing evidence in accordance with the current Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine are indicated. The tasks and functions of the prosecution and defense parties are compared. The lawyer’s actions, which are directly aimed at collecting and presenting evidence, and those that have an indirect direction of actions to obtain evidentiary information are distinguished and analyzed. Attention is drawn to the problematic issues that arise during the lawyer’s collection of evidence and their submission to the prosecution, in particular, the lawyer’s right to independently decide on the timing and expediency of providing the prosecution with access to documents and physical evidence that he must use in court. Separate tactical methods of defense of the suspect, the accused during the implementation of the lawyer’s activity at the pre-trial investigation are analyzed. An opinion was expressed about the need for a clearer and more specific wording in the law of actions of the defense side, aimed at gathering and presenting evidence, and guarantees of ensuring their implementation in the practical activities of the lawyer, investigator, prosecutor, court. It is proposed to formalize the course and results of the collection and presentation of evidence - the lawyer’s investigation, as well as the lawyer’s actions to ensure compliance with the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the suspect, the accused in the form of a lawyer’s proceeding, which ends with a conclusion, which is submitted to the court at the same time as the indictment.