TEACHING THE BASICS OF FORENSIC THINKING IN LAW SCHOOLS

The development of forensic thinking in law schools contributes to formation of abilities and skills of future professionals to function under conditions of time pressure and lack of information about a crime committed or being prepared. The foundations of forensic thinking for educational purposes are presented as a system based on general provisions of the forensic theory consisting of the logic of thinking and use of project management technologies in the professional activity of a lawyer; psychology of thinking during individual investigative and procedural actions, as well as the section on the application of forensic thinking during the investigation of various types (groups) of crimes. The article discusses the theory of forensic thinking as the basis of the investigator’s practical activity, the possibility of its use in constructing versions, planning investigations, at resolving investigative situations. The logical, psychological and information-technical components of forensic thinking are identified for the cognition of the content and the formation of student’s knowledge, skills and abilities in this area. The development of forensic thinking will be useful to representatives of any legal profession; therefore, a transition is required from individual pedagogical experiments in criminology classes to the creation of an integrated approach to improve the existing discipline “Criminalistics” or the development of a special academic discipline “Fundamentals of forensic thinking”. The interdisciplinary nature of the subject requires the involvement of not only criminologists but also psychologists, information and digital technology specialists and practitioners. Experience from the exact sciences, including mathematical modeling, should also be taken into account.

forensic thinking, criminalistics, training, logic, psychology, investigative situation, version, planning, project, algorithm

Savina L. A., Shekhovtsova L. S. Teaching the basics of forensic thinking in law schools. Business. Education. Law, 2021, no. 4, pp. 270—273. DOI: 10.25683/VOLBI.2021.57.458.