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35LEGAL EDUCATION OF STAFF OF CLOSED FOSTERING INSTITUTIONS FOR MINORS AND THE FUNCTIONS OF THE MODERN STATE
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14420/en.2013.6.6
Zubenko Vladimir Mikhaylovich, Senior Teacher in the Political Science and Law Department of the International Institute of State Service and Administration of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Officer on the Staff of the Human Rights Commissioner for the Russian Federation, Class 1 Advisor in the State Civil Service, e-mail: [email protected].
The author analyses the role of legal education of the staff of closed fostering institutions in the enforcement of minors' rights, in conjunction with the functions of the modern state; draws attention to the problem of damage to the legal consciousness of staff of detention facilities for minors; and considers the fundamental principles of international acts concerning legal enlightenment in the field of human rights.
legal enlightenment, human rights, closed fostering institutions for young offenders, legal consciousness of personnel of detention facilities, legal consciousness deformation, international acts.
The legal status and the guarantees of the fundamental (constitutional) rights of minors in closed fostering institutions (detention facilities and closed correction institutions for juvenile offenders) relate to the functions of the state. The functions of the state are understood as the main purposes of its activity. The functions of the state contribute to the realization of constitutional provisions, which are the basis for the successful development of the state and society.
Typically, there are four main internal functions of the modern state: the economic, social, political and ideological (sometimes also referred to as law enforcement or using other terms) functions1.
Regarding the ideological function, the Russian Constitution sets the principle of ideological diversity (ideological pluralism). No ideology may establish itself as the ideology of the state or as an obligatory ideology (Art. 13). At the same time, it would seem appropriate that “a modern democratic state supports (including financially) advanced ideological trends, culture, expressing the universal human values, stimulates their development and fights against misanthropic ideas,
Abstract.
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1 See, e.g., Chirkin V.E. Political studies: A tutorial. - IVI: Urist, 2000. - P. 100.
prohibiting their promotion by law and punishing for violations thereof”1. In the modern world, human values are the following: human rights, a culture of peace and democracy, and other socially important values.
The constitutional requirement that no ideology may be established as obligatory is absolute for the governmental regulation of relationships in civil society. However, the ideology of natural and inalienable human rights requires the recognition, respect and protection of human rights by the state. As individual authors emphasize, “the recognition of the ideology of human rights is a requirement that must be offered to public servants. Hence, the immanent constitutional limitation of citizens' equal access to public service follows: in the ideal, those who deny the ideology of human rights should not have access to public service”2. It is thought that this requirement applies equally to the civil service of the state and the law enforcement services (including the services of the penal system).
It appears that the existence of ideological functions deserves support in the context of human rights as a supreme value, raising awareness for human rights, education in the legal culture.
V. S. Nersesyants highlights a human rights function among other functions, defined as “activities of the state in the protection of rights and freedoms of an individual and citizen, manifestation of law and order in all spheres of public and political life”3. Within the framework of human rights, the author underlines that “consistent observance of guarantees provided by the state in the area of human rights and freedoms is essential. Guarantees relate primarily to human rights and freedoms of an individual in accordance with universally recognized principles and norms of international law”.
At one time, I.A. Ilyin noted that “the only true way to all reforms is progressive education of sense of justice”4.
The legal culture is an important prerequisite and a means of strengthening the rule of law and order in a society5. A.F. Cherdantsev understands legal culture in its broadest sense to mean everything created by mankind in the legal field: law, legal science, the sense of justice, legal practice. Legal culture is characterized by the condition of legal science, the level of development of legislation and legal order, and the level of professional activity of law enforcement bodies and legal professionals. In the narrow sense, legal culture is the level of knowledge of the law of members of a society and their respect for the law, or its high prestige in a society6. Legal nihilism is the antithesis of legal culture, i.e. the undervaluation, or even negative valuation, of the role of the law, disrespect for the law, or scornful
1 ibid, P. 101.
2 The Constitution of the Russian Federation: the problematic comments. Editor in chief Chetvernin V.A. M.: Center for Constitutional Studies, MPSF, 1997. - P. 69.
3 Nersesyants V.S. General theory of law and state: A textbook for law schools and faculties. - M.: NORMA-INFRA-M Publishing Group, 1999. - P. 260.
4 Ilyin I.A. Collected Works Vol. 4. - M., 1994. - P. 107.
5 Cherdantsev A.F. Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. - M., 1999. - P. 340.
6 Ibid, P. 340-341.
attitudes to the law, and feeds various kinds of violations.
The fight against legal nihilism is a part of the problem of development and progress in Russia of a civil society and a lawful state1.
The sense of justice of employees of internal affairs bodies was studied by considering various categories of civil servants and public officials, including law enforcement officials. It has been emphasized that, “the adequate analysis of legal awareness of staff of internal affairs bodies is necessary, because they are endowed with considerable powers the excessive use or abuse of which affects the rights of citizens”2. This conclusion also directly applies to employees of closed correction institutions for minors.
An in-depth study of the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and other legal normative acts related to the rights and freedoms of citizens should be the cornerstone of the professional training of employees of internal affairs bodies3.
As noted in the literature, in the training system of the Interior Ministry the education of employees of internal affairs bodies has a targeted impact on their consciousness, feelings and will, in order to form professionally significant moral-psychological qualities, habits and standards of conduct, complying with the requirements of the service4. This emphasizes the fact that the objects of the education are adults to whom the state has entrusted responsibility for the execution and enforcement of the law. This indicates that the main areas for educational work lie in legal, moral and aesthetic education. It has been noted that legal education is the process of developing sustainable legal ideas and principles of lawfulness. Thus, the purpose of the legal education of employees is realized through the formation of a deep respect for the rule of law, laws and legitimacy5.
This also applies to employees of penitentiary institutions, which, in addition, include closed correction institutions for juvenile offenders.
Individual researchers in 1993 fairly pointed out that the methods of preventing and correcting professional deformation of employees of penitentiary institutions were “poorly studied and insufficiently identified”. Thus, educational work among personnel of institutions is one of the means of eliminating professional deformation6.
1 Rassolova M.M., Luchina V.O., Ebzeeva B.S., Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. -M., 2000. - P. 412.
2 Lazarev V.V., Lipen S.V. Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. - M.: Spark, 2000. -P. 322.
3 Fastov A.G. Strengthening of the rule of law in the activities of the internal affairs authorities as a guarantee of the observance of human rights // Human rights in Russia: problems of guarantees at the present stage: documents of inter-university conference. Responsible Editors Anisimov P.V., etc. -Volgograd, 1999. - P. 127.
4 KaravaevA.F., Kil'mashkina T.N. Introduction to pedagogy of internal affairs bodies: Tutorial. - Omsk, 2002. - P. 3.
5 Ibid, - P. 29, 47.
6 Novikov B.D. Psychological peculiarities of occurrence of professional deformation of employees of correctional labor institutions: The author’s abstract. Doctoral dissertation in Psychology. - Tver, 1993. -P.3.
“A concept of education of workers of the penal system” was approved by the order of the Director of the Federal Penal Service (FPS) of Russia in 2005; and “Fundamentals of organization of educational work with employees of FPS” was approved in 20061. These documents indicate that “education of employees of the penitentiary system is targeted and planned activity of the state and society, public and other organizations as well as government bodies and officials of the Federal Penal Service of Russia on the formation and development of the personality of employees in accordance with the requirements for the creation of a modern penal system, preparedness of workers to perform service tasks in the interest of law and order”2.
It is supposed (presumed) that employees and officials of penitentiary institutions, including closed correction institutions for minors, are people with a developed legal consciousness. These people must comply with the principles of legality and humanity in their activities in respect of minors, should cultivate (create) respect for human rights, should promote the legal and moral consciousness of minors, and should develop a sense of responsibility in the minors for their behaviour. This, in turn, should contribute to the prevention of juvenile delinquency, both while in training in correction institutions and after release.
In the international documents concerning legal education about human rights, education in the spirit of respect for human rights has a major value. What are the main documents related to this?
The Code of Conduct for law enforcement officials, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, has an essential place3. The Code is accompanied by Article-by-Article commentaries addressed to the governments of the state-members of the United Nations. Thus, Article 7 of the Code states: “Governments cannot expect citizens to comply with the rule of law, if they are unable or unwilling to enforce the legitimacy of their own officials and within their own institutions.” This has an important moral and legal significance.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights establishes that the states that have signed and ratified the Covenant, “agree that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms ...” (paragraph 1 of Article 13).
In accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child4 of the United Nations, the state-members “shall undertake, by appropriate and active means, to widely inform adults as well as children about the principles and provisions of the Convention” (Article 42).
1 Lebedev G.P. To educate individually (about individual education issues of the employees of PCS // Penal Correction System: law, economy, management). - 2006. - No. 6. - P. 21, 22.
2 Ibid, - P. 21.
3 Code of conduct for law enforcement officials. International protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual: collection of documents.- M., 1990.- P. 319-325.
4 Here “the child” means a child aged between 14 to 18 years.
The World Plan of Action on Human Rights Education and Democracy1 (adopted by the International Congress on Education for Human Rights and Democracy, 1993) provides that “education will focus on specific groups, including, in particular, employees of police and prisons; judges, lawyers and other people working in the field of justice”.
The Plan of Action for a Decade of Education in the Field of Human Rights of the United Nations Organization, 1995-2004 (an official UN document, circulated at the 49th session of the General Assembly) stipulates that “particular attention is paid to the training of police and prison employees, lawyers, judges, teachers and curriculum developers... representatives of non-governmental organizations, media, government officials, parliamentarians and representatives of other groups capable to provide direct influence on the realization of human rights” (paragraph 24)2.
Recommendation 1346 (1997) on Education in the Field of Human Rights Protection (adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on September 26, 1997) contains a proposal “to include the subject of human rights in the program of training of personnel directly communicating with citizens (police, prison administration personnel)” (paragraph 10)3.
The Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms4 (adopted by Resolution 53/144 of the UN General Assembly as of December 9, 1998) imposes on the state “the responsibility to encourage and facilitate teaching of human rights and fundamental freedoms at all levels of education, and to ensure that all those responsible for training of lawyers, law enforcement officers, military personnel, government employees, include in their curricula appropriate elements of human rights teaching” (Article 15).
It should be noted that the Typical Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Public Servants of the Russian Federation and Municipal Employees, approved by the decision of the Presidium of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation on Anti-Corruption as of December 23, 2010, contains, in particular, the following provision: “public officials, aware of the responsibility to the state, society and citizens, are required to proceed from the fact that recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights, and freedoms define the basic sense and a content of the activity.”. In addition, compliance with the provisions of the Typical Code is “one of the criteria for evaluating the quality of their professional activity and professional conduct”.
It must also be noted that the Foundations of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Sphere of Development of Legal Literacy and Legal Awareness
1 Education and legal education in the field of human rights: Compilation of documents. General Editor Mironov O.O.- M., 2004.- P. 41-42.
2 Ibid - P. 47, 51.
3 Ibid - P. 93.
4 See: Collection of International Agreements. Vol. I (first part). - Geneva, 2002. - P. 547.
of Citizens, adopted by the President of the Russian Federation on May 4, 2011, contains a special section “on measures of the state policy to enhance the legal awareness of persons holding the state and municipal positions, the state and municipal employees, employees of law enforcement bodies”. This is an essential factor in addressing the problems mentioned above.
Legal education for employees of closed correction institutions for minors is a complex problem, the solution of which should involve institutions of the civil society and the state.
References
1. Chirkin V.E. Political studies: A tutorial. M.: Urist, 2000.
2. CherdantsevA.F. Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. M.,
1999.
3. FastovA.G. Strengthening of the rule of law in the activity of the internal affairs authorities as a guarantee of the observance of human rights // Human rights in Russia: problems of guarantees at the present stage: documents of interuniversity conference. Responsible Editor Anisimov P.V. and others. Volgograd, 1999.
4. Ilyin I.A. Collected Works. Vol. 4. M., 1994.
5. Karavaev A.F, Kil'mashkina T.N. Introduction to pedagogy of internal affairs bodies: Tutorial. Omsk, 2002.
6. Code of conduct for law enforcement officials. International protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual: Collection of documents. M., 1990.
7. The Constitution of the Russian Federation: Comments on the problem. Editor in chief Chetvernin V.A. M.: Center for Constitutional Studies, MPSF, 1997.
8. Lazarev V.V., Lipen S.V. Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. M.: Spark, 2000.
9. Lebedev G.P. To educate individually (about individual education issues of the employees of PCS // Penal Correction System: law, economy, management). 2006. No. 6.
10. Nersesyants V.S. General theory of law and state: A textbook for law schools and faculties. M.: NORMA-INFRA-M Publishing Group, 1999.
11. Novikov B.D. Psychological peculiarities of occurrence of professional deformation of employees of correctional labour institutions: The author's abstract. Doctoral dissertation in Psychology. Tver, 1993.
12. Education and legal education in the field of human rights: Compilation of documents. General Editor Mironov O.O. M., 2004.
13. Collection of International Agreements. Vol. I (first part). Geneva, 2002.
14. Rassolova M.M., Luchina V.O., Ebzeeva B.S. Theory of state and law: Textbook for high schools. M., 2000.
