Feature of the status of a knowledgeable person in criminal proceedings

The purpose of the article is to define the general concept and functional purpose of knowledgeable persons in any type of judicial proceedings, the classification of such persons and clarification of the structure of special knowledge. Based on the results of the research, it can be stated that in some situations, legal knowledge is implemented in the judiciary by knowledgeable persons depending on their professional competence and the amount of specialized knowledge. It was concluded that the requirement of disinterestedness is not general and cannot be applied to all knowledgeable persons. The article concludes that qualified persons have special (non-legal) knowledge and legal knowledge. It is specified that a knowledgeable person in the judiciary is a subject who possesses special (non-legal) knowledge in a certain field of human activity or legal knowledge and skills in their application. An informed person is involved necessarily or at the discretion of the authorized person (body) in order to assist in solving the tasks of the judiciary. Information and documents provided by an informed person are used as sources of evidence or reference information, which is the basis for making procedural, tactical and organizational decisions. The purpose of involving such persons in the process is to assist the authorized participants in the performance of their duties. It is noted that the concept of “informed person” should be considered from two aspects: etymological, which reveals its meaning, and procedural – to determine the list of persons to whom this concept applies. The classification of knowledgeable persons involved in legal proceedings is of great cognitive importance for understanding their spectrum. A classification of specialists is proposed. The number of knowledgeable persons includes: experts; legal experts; specialists; translators; sign language interpreters; persons who testify on the basis of special knowledge; forensic medical experts; teachers; psychologists; doctors; psychiatrists; auditors; inspectors; experts of the Scientific Advisory Council at the Supreme Court; persons who provide consultations, pre-investigate objects, and conduct forensic records of objects and persons.