Causality as an essential element of the objective side of crimes causing harm to the life and health of a patient

The article examines causation as an essential element of the objective side of crimes that cause harm to the life and health of a patient. It traces the historical evolution of the concept of causation in Russian criminal law, highlighting the lack of detailed legislative regulation, which necessitates doctrinal elaboration and judicial interpretation. The author analyses the main theoretical approaches to causation developed in Russian criminal law doctrine. Special attention is paid to specific aspects of establishing causation in cases of harm to a patient, such as the omission of a medical professional, the time gap between the act and the resulting harm, the multiplicity of contributing factors, and the individual characteristics of the patient's body. On this basis, the author concludes that the absence of a causal link between the medical professional's act and the resulting harm constitutes an independent circumstance excluding criminal liability for causing harm to a patient.