MINIMIZATION AS A GENERAL LEGAL CATEGORY

The article is devoted to the need to develop a generally accepted definition of the concept of «minimization» in the theory of law. The purpose of the article is to consider minimization as a general legal category. The term «minimization» is widely used in sectoral legislation in relation to various sectoral legal institutions (labour, information, tax, criminal, environmental, etc.). This category is gradually penetrating and becoming entrenched in doctrinal sources of law. At the same time this term is not formally defined in legal science and its legal interpretation and explication are not given. The content of the term is perceived more subconsciously by law makers, law enforcement officers and research scientists. The paper shows that in an environment of increasing legal and social risks, risks in the technosphere of security, the concept of minimization in the digital age is filled with deeper content. The rapid increase in legal arrays in the legal system requires minimizing entropy, a measure of uncertainty or chaos in the legal system. Volume of legal arrays are increasing, they becoming loose, losing their consistency and purposefulness. In today’s risk society minimization, the legal content of which is poorly developed, penetrates into many branches of law. The author’s definitions of the concepts of «risk minimization in law» and «minimization in law» have been developed using methods of analysis, synthesis and a functional information approach. The features of minimization are revealed in comparison with the categories of «diminution» and «limitation».