Proportionality as a constitutional principle of limiting human and civil rights and freedoms in the Russian Federation
Introduction. The 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation allows for the possibility of restricting rights and freedoms of individuals and establishes imperative conditions (principles) for the introduction and operation of these restrictions. One of these constitutional principles is the principle of proportionality: the rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen can be limited only to the extent necessary to achieve the goals specified in part 3 of Article 55. Theoretical analysis. The principle of proportionality of restrictions to certain goals is currently declared by the constitutions of many states, and is also part of the international legal criteria for restrictions on human rights. Some conceptual issues of the content of the constitutional principle of proportionality are resolved by the Constitutional Court of Russia. In its most general form, the principle of proportionality means that: the measures (means) used to restrict rights and freedoms must be conditioned by constitutional goals; restrictive measures (means) should not be greater than necessary; restrictive measures (means) should not lead to disproportionate, excessive restrictions. Empirical analysis. The analysis of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Russia shows that in each specific case, the Court determines the necessary measure to restrict a particular right (freedom), comparing, weighing the constitutionally recognized values (on the one hand, the rights of a certain person, on the other, the rights of other persons, the interests of the state, public interests), as well as assessing the adequacy of the legal means used to achieve any constitutionally established goal (s) of restriction. The conclusions reached by the Court regarding the proportionality or disproportion (excess) of the restriction of this or that right are binding not only for the legislator, but also in some cases for the law enforcement officer. Results. It is concluded that the implementation of the constitutional principle of proportionality of restrictions in lawmaking and law enforcement means that when establishing and applying restrictions on rights and freedoms to achieve a certain constitutional goal (goals), exclusively necessary measures (means) must be provided and used in this situation. The principle of proportionality of restrictions is one of the criteria for assessing the constitutionality of the restriction of any right or freedom, as well as one of the guarantees against arbitrary (unreasonable, excessive, unconstitutional) restrictions, since it presupposes the existence of certain boundaries (limits, frameworks, conditions) of lawmaking and law enforcement.