Problematic Issues when Granting a Pardon

Introduction: this article considers problematic issues of granting a pardon and proposes practice-oriented recommendations that boost effectiveness of the pardon institution. Purpose: to analyze problematic issues of granting a pardon in Russian criminal and penal legislation and to develop recommendations that contribute to improving this institution effectiveness. Subject: problematic issues arising in the implementation of pardon in practice. Methods: general scientific methods, as well as comparative, comparative legal, statistical methods. Results: the stated above indicates the need to resolve the issue of the legal nature of the institution. It seems advisable to formulate its goals more clearly, which should fully correlate with the norms of criminal and penal legislation. Conclusion: it is reasonable to expand a circle of persons entitled to apply for a pardon, develop detailed instructions for the work of territorial pardon commissions, elaborate special pardon rules for military personnel and prisoners wishing to participate in the special military operation, and work out additional guarantees to protect the crime victims’ rights in case a pardon is granted. The conclusions obtained in the article can be used in educational and law enforcement practice, as well as when assessing effectiveness of the implementation of the pardon institution.