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<article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" article-type="review-article" dtd-version="1.2" xml:lang="en"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">Russian Journal of Legal Studies (Moscow)</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title xml:lang="en">Russian Journal of Legal Studies (Moscow)</journal-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Российский журнал правовых исследований</trans-title></trans-title-group></journal-title-group><issn publication-format="print">2410-7522</issn><issn publication-format="electronic">2410-4965</issn><publisher><publisher-name xml:lang="en">Eco-Vector</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">690120</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.17816/RJLS690120</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="edn">TVWWAG</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="en"><subject>Criminal law</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="toc-heading" xml:lang="ru"><subject>Уголовно-правовые науки</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="article-type"><subject>Review Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title xml:lang="en">Finding truth in criminal proceedings as retroactivity criterion of procedural laws</article-title><trans-title-group xml:lang="ru"><trans-title>Достижение истины в уголовном судопроизводстве как критерий ретроактивности норм процессуального законодательства</trans-title></trans-title-group></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9430-5340</contrib-id><contrib-id contrib-id-type="spin">4007-2782</contrib-id><name-alternatives><name xml:lang="en"><surname>Zapotylko</surname><given-names>Pavel S.</given-names></name><name xml:lang="ru"><surname>Запотылько</surname><given-names>Павел Сергеевич</given-names></name></name-alternatives><address><country country="RU">Russian Federation</country></address><email>zapotylkops@yandex.ru</email><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/></contrib></contrib-group><aff-alternatives id="aff1"><aff><institution xml:lang="en">The Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation</institution></aff><aff><institution xml:lang="ru">Институт законодательства и сравнительного правоведения при Правительстве Российской Федерации</institution></aff></aff-alternatives><pub-date date-type="pub" iso-8601-date="2025-10-19" publication-format="electronic"><day>19</day><month>10</month><year>2025</year></pub-date><volume>12</volume><issue>3</issue><issue-title xml:lang="en"/><issue-title xml:lang="ru"/><fpage>73</fpage><lpage>80</lpage><history><date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2025-09-08"><day>08</day><month>09</month><year>2025</year></date><date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2025-09-10"><day>10</day><month>09</month><year>2025</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement xml:lang="en">Copyright ©; 2025, Eco-Vector</copyright-statement><copyright-statement xml:lang="ru">Copyright ©; 2025, Эко-Вектор</copyright-statement><copyright-year>2025</copyright-year><copyright-holder xml:lang="en">Eco-Vector</copyright-holder><copyright-holder xml:lang="ru">Эко-Вектор</copyright-holder><ali:free_to_read xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" start_date="2028-09-29"/><license><ali:license_ref xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/</ali:license_ref></license></permissions><self-uri xlink:href="https://journals.eco-vector.com/2410-7522/article/view/690120">https://journals.eco-vector.com/2410-7522/article/view/690120</self-uri><abstract xml:lang="en"><p>The paper investigates the issue of coupling the retroactive effect of procedural laws with objective or formal truth in criminal proceedings. In the context of the ever-increasing amendments introduced to the body of laws, the effect of criminal procedure laws in time is of particular relevance. While a standard principle dictates that criminal procedure law applies prospectively, the issue of making it retroactive continues to be a subject of debate. Based on an analysis of Russian legal authorities, law enforcement practice, and doctrinal positions, it is concluded that the decision on the retroactivity of law directly relates to the time of criminal proceedings. Drawing from the established thesis, the author developed a classification to divide the retroactive effect of procedural law into immanent retroactivity (before the judgement becomes final) and transcendental retroactivity (at the cassation and supervisory appeal stages). The paper proves that immanent retroactivity may be applied regardless of the concept of truth (objective or formal) recognized as the aim of criminal proceedings, subject to the constitutional principle of the inadmissibility of retroactivity of a law that worsens the status of individuals. Still, transcendental retroactivity remains permissible solely if the objective truth is recognized as the aim of legal proceedings. If the proceedings is aimed only at finding formal truth, there are no grounds for reviewing the case in light of the new law after the judgement becomes final.</p></abstract><trans-abstract xml:lang="ru"><p>В статье исследуется проблематика сопряжения ретроактивного действия норм процессуального законодательства с объективной или формальной истиной в рамках уголовно-процессуальных правоотношений. В условиях все возрастающей динамики внесения изменений в законодательный массив проблема действия уголовно-процессуальных норм во времени представляет особую актуальность. Несмотря на существование общего правила о немедленном действии уголовно-процессуального закона, вопрос о придании ему обратной силы остается дискуссионным. На основе анализа отечественных источников права, правоприменительной практики и позиций доктрины делается вывод, что решение вопроса о ретроактивности норм напрямую зависит от момента производства по уголовному делу. Согласно представленному тезису была разработана классификация, разделяющая обратную силу процессуального закона на два вида: имманентную (применяемую до вступления судебного решения в законную силу) и трансцендентную (действующую на стадиях кассационного и надзорного обжалования). В статье доказывается, что применение имманентной ретроактивности является допустимым вне зависимости от того, какая концепция истины (объективная или формальная) принята в качестве задачи уголовного судопроизводства, при условии соблюдения конституционного принципа о недопустимости обратной силы закона, ухудшающего положение граждан. В то же время возможность применения трансцендентной ретроактивности ставится в прямую зависимость от признания объективной истины задачей судопроизводства. Если же процесс нацелен лишь на достижение формальной истины, то после вступления решения суда в силу основания для пересмотра дела в свете нового закона отсутствуют.</p></trans-abstract><kwd-group xml:lang="en"><kwd>criminal proceedings</kwd><kwd>criminal procedure law</kwd><kwd>retroactivity of law</kwd><kwd>objective truth</kwd><kwd>formal truth</kwd></kwd-group><kwd-group xml:lang="ru"><kwd>уголовное судопроизводство</kwd><kwd>уголовно-процессуальное законодательство</kwd><kwd>обратная сила закона</kwd><kwd>объективная истина</kwd><kwd>формальная истина</kwd></kwd-group><funding-group/></article-meta></front><body></body><back><ref-list><ref id="B1"><label>1.</label><mixed-citation>Ishchenko EP. What kind of truth is needed in criminal proceedings? Ugolovnoye sudoproizvodstvo. 2008;(1):23–31. (In Russ.) 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