National Scientific Center «Hon. Prof. M. S. Bokarius Forensic Science Institute» (hereinafter — NSC FSI) of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is one of the oldest state forensic institutions of Ukraine. The activity of NSC FSI is aimed at timely implementation of scientific and research plans, maximum fulfillment of requirements of courts, law enforcement agencies, institutions, organizations, enterprises, and citizens in various types of expert examinations.
In March 1923, an eminent Ukrainian forensic physician and criminalist M. S. Bokarius along with S. S. Savchenko, an investigator for emergency cases at the People’s Commissariat of Justice (hereinafter — the PCJ) of the Ukrainian SSR, initiated the concept of establishing of two more Cabinets of Scientific and Forensic Examination (hereinafter — CSFE) in Kharkiv, which was the capital of Ukraine at that time, and to restore their work, which existed during the Tsarist Times (Odesa and Kyiv).
On their initiative, on July 10, 1923, the Council of People’s Commissars (hereinafter — CPC) of the Ukrainian SSR issued a resolution on the establishment of CSFE in the system of the PCJ in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Odesa and approved the Resolution on Cabinets of Scientific and Forensic Examination as the first normative act that regulated the activities of forensic institutions in Ukraine. Since November, 1923, on the basis of the Department of Forensic Medicine of Medical Institute, under the leadership of M. S. Bokarius, the Kharkiv CSFE has begun its activity.
On August 28, 2020, the President of Ukraine signed Decree No. 366/2020 On Awarding the Status of National Scientific Center to Hon. Prof. M. S. Bokarius Kharkiv Research Institute of Forensic Examinations.
The NSC FSI, in its activities, is governed by the laws of Ukraine, decrees of the President of Ukraine, resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, regulatory legal acts on scientific activities and forensic science, orders of the Minister of Justice of Ukraine and resolutions of the Board of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, as well as other regulatory legal acts.
The main tasks of NSC FSI include: 1) conducting forensic examinations (in particular, related to the valuation of property and property rights, examination of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogs, and precursors) assigned to criminal proceedings, civil, commercial, administrative cases, cases of administrative offenses, and during enforcement proceedings;2) conducting expert examinations commissioned by individuals or legal entities using means and methods of forensic science (including property and property right evaluation); 3) scientific research in the field of forensic science and criminology and implementation of its results into expert, investigative, and judicial practice;4) ensuring the fulfillment of tasks of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and other state bodies on issues of expert support of justice and conducting scientific research in the field of forensic science in accordance with the established legislation;5) training and advanced training of expert personnel, in particular in the field of law, according to the educational program on theoretical, organizational and procedural issues of forensic science;6) training of highly qualified scientific personnel in the field of forensic science, criminology and law;7) provision of educational services in the field of professional training of civil servants and employees of the judiciary, other students to meet the needs of state and other bodies;8) scientific, methodological and informational activities in the field of forensic science, criminology and law;9) provision of paid services, particularly in the field of forensic, scientific, scientific-technical, and educational activities, aimed at the development of NSC FSI, improvement of working conditions, and training of participants in the educational process;10) international cooperation in the fields of forensic science, criminology, law, training highly qualified scientific personnel, and educational activities.
NSC FSI has Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Luhansk, and Donetsk Branches.
The NSC FSI employees are fruitfully working on topical expert issues: they conduct forensic examinations in more than 90 specialties, most of which are complex and high-profile. The professionalism, high qualification and undisputed competence of the NSC FSI employees contribute to solving a significant number of current high-profile crimes.The high level of examinations’ quality and expert studies conducted at NSC FSI is confirmed by an accreditation certificate in accordance with the requirements of the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and EN ISO/IEC 17020:2014 in 19 areas.This quality level enables the creation of an effective mechanism that ensures the transition to a new level of forensic technologies and promotes the efficient development of scientific and methodological support for expert activities.
In order to prepare highly qualified scientific personnel (in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), the NSC FSI operates postgraduate and doctoral studies in the specialty 081 “Law” (with a focus on forensic examination). The NSC FSI employees work on dissertation research to obtain academic degrees of Doctor and Candidate of Sciences (Doctor of Philosophy).
In the area of postgraduate education for advanced training (in accordance with the license issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine), the NSC FSI holds training for specialists (including foreigners) in the field of law (specialty 081). This training encompasses the educational program focusing on Theoretical, Organizational and Procedural Issues of Forensic Examination, as well as internships for forensic experts covering practically all expert specialties.
The NSC FSI conducts scientific research annually on various topics in accordance with the thematic plan of scientific research of forensic expert institutions of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the institution’s own research plan. The number of scientific research works performed by the NSC FSI staff increases each year.
One of the main directions of NSC FSI’s activities is international cooperation. Productive collaboration with international partners under existing agreements continues. The institution’s researchers actively participate in grant-funded competitions. Current NSC FSI professionals, as well as its founders at the beginning of the 20th century, faithfully fulfill their professional duty — conscientious service to the truth!