Pankevich V. Criminal-Legal Characteristics of Violation of Equality of Citizens Depending on Their Racial and Nationality Affiliation or Attitude to Religion

The dissertation presents complex and system criminal-legal characteristics of violation of equality of citizens depending on their racial and nationality affiliation or attitude religion (article 161 Criminal Code of Ukraine). Social danger of violation of equality of citizens is determined and the author proposes to distinguish five stages of genesis of the national criminal legislation in the aspect of responsibility for the mentioned crime. International and foreign experience of criminal responsibility for violation of equality of citizens is researched. "Corpus delict" of violation of equality of citizens, its elements and features, qualifying and specially qualifying circumstances are analyzed. The work determines that social relations on which the crime, envisaged by article 161 Criminal Code of Ukraine, infringes and certain forms of its objective side are not similar and need clear differentiation (consequently, the author suggests to determine special responsibility in various norms for agitation and propaganda of racial, national or religious intolerance and for violation of equality of person and citizen). Violation of equality of citizens is separated from similar infringements in the dissertation.