Keyword: «reduced form of inquiry»

This article examines the historical aspect of the establishment of an initial inquiry as a form of pre-trial criminal proceedings, the evolution of the inquiry and its current state. The main emphasis is placed on the difference between the essence of the inquiry in the pre-revolutionary period and its content in the Soviet and subsequent periods of the formation of the State. Note is taken of the role and importance of the inquiry in the investigation of criminal cases and the importance of the inquiry as a tool for seeking and establishing the truth. The significance of the study is seen in the fact that it reveals the main stages and patterns of the development of the inquiry, which can be used in the course of further improvement of pre-trial proceedings.