Historical Aspects of the Russian Procurator's Office Activities Aimed at Prevention of Violations of Laws

Since Peter I established the Prosecutor's Office in Russia in 1722, prosecutors, unlike the previous Fiscal Service officials, have been focused on prevention of violations of law rather than on their detection. In the ensuing years, the Prosecutor's Office experienced different times, the structure of the Prosecutor's Office, powers of prosecutors, and the degree of influence of the Public Prosecutor's Office on law and order in the state. Nevertheless, the Public Prosecutor's Office activities have almost always been aimed at preventing violations of laws. In this regard, as a general rule, the words concerning prevention (determent, averting, etc.) of violations of laws regulating the Public Prosecutor's Office are not explicitly stated. However, a preventive nature of the work of the Prosecutor's Office was predetermined by the duties assigned to prosecutors, the essence of which was precisely to ensure that agencies and persons under their supervision complied with the requirements of laws. The paper, with reference to specific provisions of normative legal acts, investigates the history of the Russian Procurator's Office activities aimed at preventing violations of laws since the establishment up to our days. It is noted, however, that this sphere in the Public Prosecutor's Office activity has recently become more requested. Also, the author proposes to enshrine the priority of this approach in the Federal Law "On the Procurator's Office of the Russian Federation."

Prosecutor's Office, prosecutor, public prosecutor's supervision, history of the Public Prosecutor's Office, law enforcement, prevention of offenses, prevention of violations of laws, ensuring of the rule of law, caution, clarification of legislation

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