THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF TECHNICAL-CRIMINALISTIC SUPPORT FOR PRE-TRIAL INVESTIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINAL OFFENCES

Abstract

The article examines the legal and organizational foundations of technical-
criminalistic support for investigating criminal offences against the environment, 
including aspects conditioned by the wartime context. It argues that, despite the 
growing use of the term “scientific and technical support,” the category of 
“technical-criminalistic support” has an established meaning in criminalistics, 
directly oriented toward the detection, recording, examination, and use of 
evidence, and therefore should not be replaced. Based on an analysis of doctrinal 
approaches and current regulatory instruments (in particular, provisions of the 
Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” and subordinate regulations), the study 
shows that the effectiveness of investigations into environmental crimes depends 
on an integrated system encompassing standardized primary documentation, 
compliance with the chain of custody, laboratory verification, digital analytics 
(GIS, UAVs, photo and video recording), as well as robust interagency 
coordination. 
The paper identifies key organizational problems in investigative practice 
(insufficient involvement of environmental specialists in rapid response teams, 
fragmented use of instruments, and gaps in documentation) and proposes 
solutions: a multisensor approach to data collection, accreditation of laboratories 
to ISO 17025, the creation of a network of environmental experts, and unified 
checklists and GIS platforms for pre-trial investigations.