Distinction between ecocide (art. 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and violations of the laws and customs of war as damage to the natural environment (art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)

Abstract

Introduction. Distinction between corpus delicti of criminal offenses is a necessary condition for the correct classification of the crimes. The purpose of the paper is elucidation of the signs by which distinction between the criminal offenses of ecocide (art. 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment (art. 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) is made. Results. Since the norm of art. 438 Criminal Code of Ukraine is blanket the provisions of multilateral international agreements and customs on the prohibition of harming the natural environment within military actions are analyzed for elucidation of the signs the corpus delicti of violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment. The signs of ecocide are devoted in pursuant to the provisions of art. 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Joint signs of ecocide and violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment: 1) subject of the crime – natural environment; 2) amount of damage to the natural environment as result of actions what are qualified under the art. 438 or art. 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine; 3) subjective («mens rea») – intentially action; 4) perpetrator – a person who has reached 16 years of age (except military officials). Dissenting signs of ecocide and violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment: 1) object of the crime (security of mankind (ecological security) – for ecocide and peace – for violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment); 2) substantive («actus reus»): violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment are committed as way of waging war or consequence of waging war and only in the context of armed conflict. Conclusion. The signs for distinction between ecocide and violations of the laws and customs of war as causing damage to the natural environment are signs of object of the crime and peculiarities of substantive («actus reus») and contextual signs (armed conflict).