Popov E.A. Sociologist as an expert: expanding the boundaries of law enforcement

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the various aspects of sociologists’ participation in the judicial sociological investigation. It reveals the difficulties and problem areas within the development of social knowledge as a whole and sociology in particular, which can affect the quality of forensic science within the framework of a specific criminal investigation. The author presents certain methods of raising the level of forensic examination by involving professional sociologists. Expansion of the boundaries of law enforcement allows a sociologist to participate in a wide spectrum of forensic examinations. The following are some of the main conclusions made in this research: the addition of new complex multivariable notions within criminal law justifies the need for involvement into forensic investigations of professionals such as sociologists; the level of success of forensic sociological investigation depends not only on the professional competency of the expert sociologist, but also on their knowledge of the legal environment.

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