Skubak E. Legal and psychological characteristics of abuse of office by civil servants in Ukraine

The thesis is devoted to determining the legal and psychological features of crimes related to abuse of office. Recommendations for the use of psychological knowledge and techniques in the practice of law enforcement agencies in the process of their investigation are formulated. The research presents the historical legal and comparative analysis of criminal legal comprehension of the "abuse of office" concept. Different approaches to the interpretation of "abuse of office" depending on the historical periods of Ukraine’s development are analyzed. The key differences and characteristics of criminal offenses related to abuse of office in the criminal law of foreign countries are highlighted and their legal structure is compared with the hypothesis, disposition and sanction of a similar article of domestic criminal law. The psychological nature of crimes related to abuse of office is determined. Emphasis is placed on the corruption nature of these crimes and it is proved that their psychological conditionality is characterized by the action of two groups of determinants – social and psychological. Some aspects of professional deformation of civil servants of the possible basis for committing corruption offenses are highlighted.