Annotation

The article is devoted to the theoretical and legal analysis of the objective side of the crime as a central element of the corpus delicti in criminal law. The concept, structure and functions of the objective side, its significance for the qualification of acts, the establishment of a causal relationship, the definition of harm and public danger, as well as for the differentiation of criminal and criminal behavior are considered. Special attention is paid to the signs of the objective side (act, consequence, causal relationship, method, place, time, situation, tools and means), their normative expression and doctrinal approaches to their establishment. The issues of material and formal compositions, alternative and truncated compositions, the problems of inaction, as well as the interaction of the objective side with subjective characteristics are analyzed. The conclusion is made about the key importance of the objective side as a channel for the legalization of socially dangerous phenomena in legal criteria, ensuring the predictability of law enforcement, the fairness of criminal repression and compliance with the principles of legality and guilt.