Innovations in the Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Prospects for the Implementation of Modern Methods and Technologies in the Work of Specialists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FEL.2023.12.25.12Keywords:
e-justice, criminal justice, digital technologies, technical means, law enforcement agencies, digitised informationAbstract
Digital technologies are increasingly penetrating all areas of human activity, including the judicial system. Information technologies are being integrated into criminal proceedings in the form of video conferencing during court hearings at various levels and electronic submission of motions, petitions, and complaints. The study aimed to identify and systematise the theoretical foundations of organising criminal procedure through information technologies. These technologies are used for organising the activities of officials and bodies conducting criminal proceedings, collecting, verifying, and evaluating evidence, controlling the activities of officials and bodies involved in criminal proceedings, and ensuring the security of information technologies used in criminal proceedings in the Republic of Azerbaijan. A review of studies conducted between 2015 and 2023 was carried out to achieve this goal. The search for publications relevant to the research topic was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. As a result of a two-stage selection process, 17 relevant studies were identified, characterised by the lowest risk of bias in their findings. The results of the study state the argumentation of the position that, at the present stage, it is necessary to create a unified digital environment of criminal justice, including the transition to recording the course of procedural, as well as investigative, actions employing technical means and saving the results in electronic form. It is essential to improve electronic document flow between state bodies and officials within the framework of criminal procedure relations and to expand the use of remote forms of procedural actions at any stage of criminal proceedings, including the participation of all interested parties in court hearings. It is equally essential to provide the victim with the opportunity to track the progress of a criminal case online via the Internet, from filing an electronic application to the sentencing. It is considered adequate for the future to introduce a convenient and reliable technology of certification of a procedural document by any participant in the criminal process instead of its usual signature.
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