A Special Status Victim: Criminal Liability for Assaulting a Government Official in Ukraine and Other Countries
Una víctima de estatus especial: Responsabilidad penal por agredir a un funcionario del gobierno en Ucrania y otros países
Abstract
The paper discusses some emerging issues of criminal liability for assaults against public officials in various jurisdictions. Emphasis is placed both on the comparative approach to analyzing the relevant criminal statutes and on the specific legal framework for the protection of the life and health of law enforcement officers. Based on the provisions of statutory criminal law and the case law of several countries, it is shown that the life, health and property of law enforcement officers enjoy a higher level of protection. This is explained by the fact that such persons are direct representatives of the state, perform their duties in public, remain under public scrutiny and, therefore, may become an easier target for assault crimes. In the conclusions of the research, it has been argued that the determination of the legal grounds, scope and limits of protection of public officials by criminal law should be carried out at the national level (or state level in a federal jurisdiction), based on the orientations and principles of the domestic criminal law policy and program of a given nation.
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References
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