LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE OF SINGAPORE in Counteraction to criminal INFECTING WITH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS

Abstract

The spread of HIV infection in the world has reached an unprecedented scale, so combating this negative social phenomenon is a pressing issue of our time for the international community. No doubt that effective prevention of the spread of human immunodeficiency virus calls for united efforts of the whole global community. Since the HIV infection is not a problem of a single country, the efforts of many states have to be combined in dealing with this challenge. Russia along with other nations pays close attention to preventing the spread of HIV infection. Like in many other countries, Russia has recently experienced a developing epidemic of chronic diseases caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It is therefore necessary to immediately look for a way out of the situation. Russian Criminal Code provides for the liability for infecting with HIV. Analysis of the practical application of legal norms, as stipulated in Article 122 of the criminal code, shows that they are applied relatively rarely. It is possible that this situation can be caused by the lack of correct regulation of the responsibility for the criminal spread of HIV in the Russian. There are countries in the world that effectively slow down the rates of HVI-transmission, the Republic of Singapore among them. Official statistics data of Singapore allow to assert that the country manages to control the situation with the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus; last ten year have recorded a decrease in HIV incidence compared to previous periods. Legislation of the Republic of Singapore provides responsibility for HIV infection. Given the results of the epidemiological situation with HIV infection in this country and existing legal framework on combating the criminal infecting with human immunodeficiency virus, we believe that is possible to resort to the study of legislative experience of this country to ascertain the possibility of using specific techniques in regulating the responsibility for these dangerous infectious diseases in Russia. The article offers the analysis of legal norms found in the legislative acts of the Republic of Singapore, which are aimed at preventing the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus. It is concluded that the position of Russian legislators in the question of regulating the liability for HIV infection is largely consonant with the position of the legislators of Singapore. However, there are specific features in the legislation of Singapore concerning the formulation of certain provisions in combating the spread of HIV infection, which may be borrowed by the domestic law for the improvement of criminal and other laws of Russia.