Keyword: «exemption from liability»

The institutions of amnesty and pardon represent important mechanisms for implementing the principle of humanism in the criminal law of the Russian Federation. The article examines the legal nature, procedure for application and procedural features of these institutions at various stages of criminal proceedings – from preliminary investigation to execution of sentence. The problems of legislative regulation related to observance of constitutional rights of accused and convicted persons, contradictions between norms of criminal, criminal procedural and penal legislation are analyzed. Special attention is paid to issues of competence of bodies applying acts of amnesty and pardon, as well as correlation of these institutions with other types of exemption from criminal liability and punishment. Based on analysis of judicial practice and law enforcement acts, key problems of implementation of amnesty and pardon are identified, directions for improvement of legal regulation are proposed.