Legal evaluation of the possibility to charge the accused to cover the costs of investigation of crime

Nusikalstamą veiką padaręs asmuo, be jam paskirtos bausmės ar kitų baudžiamųjų arba auklėjamųjų priemonių, dažniausiai turi atlyginti ir savo veika padarytą žalą. Šiuo metu Lietuvoje iš kaltininko reikalaujama atlyginti tik su konkrečia nusikalstama veika susijusią tiesioginę žalą. O štai kai kuriose užsienio valstybėse egzistuoja praktika, kad nusikaltėlis turi atlyginti ne tik konkrečia veika padarytus nuostolius, bet ir kai kurias su jo veikos tyrimu susijusias išlaidas. Pasigirsta siūlymų tokią praktiką taikyti ir Lietuvoje. Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama užsienio šalių susijusi praktika, iškylančios teisinės problemos bei analizuojama, ar galimybė nustatyti pareigą nusikaltėliui atlyginti jo padarytos veikos tyrimo išlaidas suderinama su galiojančiais Lietuvos Respublikos teisės aktais, konstitucinėmis nuostatomis bei bendraisiais teisės principaisIn addition to the imposed penalty an accused person must compensate the damage that arise from the investigation of his crime. Currently the accused must pay the losses directly connected with the particular crime. Meanwhile, some of the states require the criminal to cover not only the direct losses, but as well a part of the expenses associated with the investigation of his crime. Such proposals are being raised in Lithuania as well. The article analyses the possibility to introduce the mentioned measures in Lithuania. The first part of the article aims to answer the question whether it is possible and reasonable to oblige the accused person to compensate the losses that arise from the investigation of his crime. The answer to this question is sought through the evaluation of conformity of such measure with principles of proportionality, поп his in idem, the right to fair trial as well taking account to the practice used in foreign countries, requirements of international treaties and the balance between criminal and civil measures regarding punishment and compensation. The second part of the article is devoted to the possible definition and estimation of the compensation to be ordered from the accused person. The part contains definitions of the sums arisen from the crime which the accused is or might be obliged to pay: the difference is made between sums ordered as the compensations for victims of crime established in international treaties and national legislation and the procedural costs, which are part of the costs of the investigation of crime. This part of the articles analyses whether it is reasonable to expand the list of the procedural costs, i.e. to increase the sum of these costs charged to the accused; such analysis is made using the statistical data, the review of Lithuanian case law and reasoning relating the requirement to pay the procedural costs. The article concludes that the requirement to the accused to cover the expenses related to the investigation of the crime might be applied in Lithuania only in restricted volume as it must conform to the requirements of proportionality and equality and must not violate principle поп bis in idem and the right to fair trial