Forensic researches at National Academy of Internal Affairs: heritage of scientific schools (Review Article)

The Article purpose is to disclose the process of the formation of forensic scientific schools in the National Academy of Internal Affairs on the basis of the study of its historical development; to emphasize the role of heads of departments and leading professors of the National Academy of Internal Affairs in formation of forensic scientific schools, identify the main research directions of forensic scientific schools of the National Academy of Internal Affairs, highlight their contribution in training of highly qualified scientific and pedagogical staff; to emphasize achievements of forensic scientific schools of the National Academy of Internal Affairs and their significance for advancement of legal science and education in Ukraine. When covering the article content, historical, historiographic, terminological, systemic-structural, formal-logical, comparative-legal and statistical methods have been applied.  It is substantiated that the center for the development of forensic scientific schools in the National Academy of Internal Affairs is the Department of Criminalistics. Main directions of research of forensic scientific schools in the National Academy of Internal Affairs have been systematized and shown. It has been proved that forensic scientific schools of the National Academy of Internal Affairs are developing according to two scientific directions: innovative research of non-traditional traces of crime (the school of Professor M. V. Saltevskij); advancement of investigative activities and methods of investigating criminal offenses based on studying tactics applied by criminals, current achievements in science and technology (school of Professor V. P. Bahin). Scientific links between forensic schools of the National Academy of Internal Affairs and other forensic schools and centers of research institutions, higher educational institutions, law enforcement agencies have been demonstrated. Forensic scientific schools of the National Academy of Internal Affairs play a crucial role in the development of legal science and education, contribute to the formation of the high level of professionalism in law enforcement agencies and lawyers, ensure the unity of law enforcement practice and educational-scientific activity in higher education institutions.