THE DEFENDANT'S LAST WORD IN NATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW SYSTEMS

Chulkova Darya Sergeevna

The meaning of the defendant's last word in the institute of defense is largely determined by the specifics of a certain national legal system. The article provides an overview of the place and meaning of the defendant's last word in the criminal practice of national legal systems, the typologies of which are based on the principle of the rule of law, judicial practice or legal ideology. The author analyzes the Romano-Germanic (continental) and Anglo-Saxon (insular) legal families, as well as the system of traditional law, the main principle of which is the legal national ideology, which includes the religious and communal legal systems of Muslim, Hindu law, as well as the legal systems of the countries of the Far East. The effectiveness of the defendant's last word as an instrument of his legal defense is considered in a comparative approach, based on a comparative legal analysis of national law systems.

Keywords:the last word of the defendant, the national legal system, criminal procedure, criminal proceedings, criminal law, legal norms, legal families, law enforcement practice