Preparation of a new law on forensic expert activities: an innovation requiring an integrated approach

The legislation on forensic expert activities is at the stage of reform, which requires a careful, balanced and scientifically based approach. Purpose: the article attempts to analyze the texts of the draft laws on forensic expert activities, which appeared in the period from 2013 to 2020. The comparison is carried out on the basis of several structural elements, starting with the preamble of the law, the legal basis, basic terms, tasks and principles of forensic expert activity, the legal and professional status of a forensic expert and the head of a forensic expert organization, regulation of certain types of forensic examinations and others. Methods: during the study, comparative legal, formal legal and systemic functional methods are used. Results: the analysis makes it possible to formulate conclusions on the structural elements and a general conclusion on the need to apply an expert approach to the creation of provisions of a new law on forensic activities, its discussion and preparation with the participation of the scientific community and practitioners working in this field.