The process of pardoning those sentenced to life sentences and long terms of imprisonment as a criterion for increasing the liberality of the judicial system

Abstract

The development of democracy, ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens are inextricably linked with an increase in the quality and efficiency of the work of penal institutions, during which various types of criminal-executive legal relations arise, change and terminate. Attempts to introduce liberal European values into the everyday life of society made it necessary to modernise the activities of the penitentiary system in accordance with international standards. The need to introduce humane approaches and respect for human dignity in other special standards, which relate specifically to the sphere of the execution of criminal punishments, was noted. The novelty of the research is determined by the fact that the priority direction of this activity should be the process of further improvement of the penal legislation and the practice of its application, the strict observance of human rights and freedoms. One of the directions of these changes should be to improve the mechanisms for realising the right of convicts to imprisonment to a humane attitude and respect for their human dignity, based on progressive forms of ensuring it in accordance with international standards and existing best practices. Practical significance is determined by the fact that a country, when implementing the norms of pardon, assumes the obligation of more consistent implementation in legislation and practice of generally recognised international norms, primarily those that should ensure the implementation of human and civil rights and freedoms