PROCEDURAL EQUALITY OF THE PARTIES IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Introduction: the article explores the national, historical, and international legal aspects of the concept and essence of equality of arms in criminal proceedings as a balance of procedural means and conditions providing each party with the opportunity to present and defend their position on the case before the court. Objectives: to study the concept of equality of the parties within the concept of adversarial criminal proceedings of the Russian theory of criminal procedure; to analyze the relationship of the adversarial principle and equality of the parties as well as the essence of procedural equality of arms in its doctrinal and legal meaning in Russia; to articulate the concept and essence of the international legal principle of equality of arms. Methods: general scientific dialectical method of cognition, systematic approach, general scientific methods (deduction and induction), specific scientific methods (logical and legal analysis and synthesis). Results: the study has shown that the concept ‘equality of arms’ used in the Russian theory of criminal procedure, criminal procedural legislation, and law enforcement practice does not fully reflect all aspects of a fair balance of procedural possibilities of the parties in criminal proceedings. There is an imbalance of legal means and conditions, with the defense being at a disadvantage compared to the prosecution. Conclusions: it is necessary to improve the legislation in order to ensure the balance of the parties’ legal possibilities through establishing elements of favorable treatment of the defense; to provide the defense with the real means necessary to protect their interests; to create conditions that would make it possible to really use these means, i.e., to create mechanisms balancing the parties not only at the level of the law but also in its implementation.