Biometric personal data and their use in the investigation of criminal offences

The article is devoted to the analysis of biometric personal data, which is proposed to be considered as a source of information about a person and used during pre-trial investigation of criminal offences. The relevance of the research topic lies in the need to develop an optimal mechanism for using biometric personal data in the activities of pre-trial investigation bodies. The purpose of the research is to analyse the current international and national legislation on determining the place of biometric personal data in the criminal record system, implement their classification and provide recommendations for use by state bodies and individuals. To achieve this goal, the work used dialectical, historical-legal, formal-logical, dogmatic, structural-system and comparative-legal methods. It is proved that various types of biometric personal data accumulated in the criminal record system can be successfully used in the process of investigating criminal offences, and in some cases by individuals within the limits of their statutory powers. It was noted that along with the positive results of such activities, there are certain risks, namely, the presence of a threat of leakage and access to biometric data by unauthorized persons, as evidenced by the negative judicial practice of individual countries regarding unsatisfactory collection, processing, storage and use of biometric personal data. Taking into account the above, it is stated that the collection, processing and use of biometric personal data for the purpose of their use in the investigation of criminal offences must meet certain requirements, namely: the owner of the database of biometric personal data should only be the state represented by a special state body. Accordingly, the state should ensure the storage and protection of biometric personal data