V. Khakhanovskyi

The possibilities, problems, prospects of development and use of modern information systems are considered for the purpose of optimization of forensic and expert practices.

With the development of scientific and technological progress problems began to emerge regarding the legitimacy of the use of new technical developments in the investigation. After studying the views of scientists, the author believes that issues about the legitimacy of the use a certain technical option in the criminal process should be solved separately, taking into account the effectiveness, the degree of protection of the results.

It is mentioned that recently has been appeared the new concept — «electronic evidence» (underlined — not «virtual evidence», as some authors began to call it). As a rule, working with such kind of evidence requires special knowledge. The National Academy of Internal Affairs continues to work for a series of relevant methodological recommendations. In addition, obtaining such evidence has its own specifics and complexity. Therefore, a number of proposals were made to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding changes in the national legislation. In particular, changes in the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine that would regulate relations between providers and law enforcement agencies (within the framework of the Constitution of Ukraine and the CPC of Ukraine) in the part of issuing and obtaining evidence in electronic form.

All software of expert forensic activity is proposed to be classified in the following way: programs for automating the search for criminalistic information; software products that automate the process for detecting and researching the features of objects; special programs for evaluating the distinguished features of various research objects; programs that allow to automate the process of drawing up an expert opinion. At the same time, such a classification does not pretend to be completely unconditional and full; in the future it can be supplemented and improved.

The next processes are highlighted: the formation and development of foreign and domestic software products, automated workplaces, software and hardware complexes, opportunities, disadvantages and prospects of their use in conducting separate types of forensic examinations: from handwriting, fingerprinting to explosive engineering.