THEORETICAL AND LEGAL CONCEPT OF MORAL BASIS IN THE WORK OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES

The article examines the conceptual provisions of moral principles in the work of law enforcement officials. This issue is very relevant, because modern society puts forward “increased” requirements for the “moral face” of law enforcement agencies, in connection with which national legislation is undergoing constant tectonic shifts. The social importance of morality in the law enforcement sphere and the degree of their moral responsibility is extremely growing in the current conditions of comprehensive transformation of the information society. In our opinion, the real moral face of law enforcement agencies is a reflection of the legal and mental state of society, on which it depends whether it will tolerate imitation of high morals of law enforcement officials or not. Immorality always breeds cruelty, insensitivity, corruption, inspires the creation of any evil, is a consequence of all problems for state stability and threats to security in society, because it is the immorality of those who guard the right to protection and defence against arbitrariness undermines democratic institutions and values, faith in justice and calls into question the rule of law. The article examines the moral and legal provisions of national legislation and international acts on the established moral principles in the activities of law enforcement agencies. The article reveals that the moral and legal concept of a police officer (as well as another law enforcement officer) includes a combination of four moral vectors: behaviour in society; treatment of a detainee; interaction with the public and other state bodies; relationships with colleagues. Examining the basic “moral guidelines” of the defender of law and order, it is established that the category of “dignity” is the highest level of morality of law enforcement officials, the content of which absorbs all the necessary moral virtues and qualities of this profession. Dignity at the same time means fitness for the profession, compliance with its purpose as a set of moral, ideological and professional qualities: humanism, legality, objectivity, impartiality, justice, loyalty, loyalty to the state, tolerance. It is noted that the conceptual provisions of moral principles in the work of law enforcement officials, provided by law, become chaotic and do not have a stable hierarchy, which would provide the order and place of different moral values. There is only a certain dynamism in response to specific forms of immoral, requiring legal coordination in a particular historical period of development of society. The article proposes to single out and combine moral norms into certain groups (depending on the nature of the relationship) and to define in each certain characteristic provisions and rules.