Changing the Category of Crime by the Court as a Means to Individualize Imposition of Criminal Punishment
Introduction: the article discusses the procedure and grounds for changing the category of crime by the court to a less serious one in conditions where there are reasons for applying the specified norm to individualize punishment. The norm of Part 6 of Article 15 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is often criticized in literature and is the subject of specialists’ discussion. Purpose: based on the analysis of scientific literature and judicial practice, to show the possibilities of punishment individualization by recognizing a crime less grave in accordance with the provisions of Part 6 of Article 15 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Methods: historical, comparative legal, statistical, empirical methods of description, interpretation; theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic. The following private scientific methods were used: the legal-dogmatic and the method of interpretation of legal norms. Results: the work conducted reveals researchers’ opinions about redundancy of the norm regulating the change in the category of crime. Nevertheless, this rule should be recognized as necessary, as it entitles the court to make the right decision in non-standard situations. The rule under study may be used to individualize punishment for members of organized criminal groups, depending on their degree of involvement in criminal activity and the public danger of their actions. Conclusions: to promote individualization of punishments in the domestic criminal law, it is necessary to expand the possibilities of applying Part 6 of Article 15 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, having supplemented the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with an appropriate paragraph providing for the application of this norm when considering cases in a special order in connection with the conclusion of a pre-trial cooperation agreement with the defendant.