Abstract
The correct qualification of a crime provides the basis for achieving the goals of criminal liability, including sentencing a just punishment. During qualification, law enforcement agencies (investigative bodies, inquiry bodies, and court) often face problems caused by contradictions in criminal law regulation (a gap in law, defects in law, legal conflicts, evaluation categories of law, etc.). According to the authors, it is possible to eliminate the contradictions of criminal law regulation by applying the principles of criminal law as a direct regulator of criminal law relations. Purpose of the research: to identify the problems of qualifying crimes in the modern practice of preliminary investigation bodies and courts, as well as to determine the place and role of the principles of criminal law in the process. Framework of the research. The research was carried out with general scientific methods (dialectical, statistical, comparative legal); in addition, methods of analysis, deduction, synthesis, as well as a formally legal method, were used in the research. Conclusions: the authors draw the conclusion that the principles of criminal law should be considered as an independent fundamental form of Russian law.