The department was set up by the order of the rector of the Lviv state University after I. Franko N158 of February 16, 1999 as a result of the division of the department of criminal law and procedure. The teacher’s staff of the department provide training in the following educational subjects: criminal law of Ukraine, criminology, criminal executive law. The department provides special courses for obtaining scientific degree of the Master of Law and also “specialist-jurist”.

Leading experts-criminologists conducted training in different subjects of the department. Among them F. Hryzetskyi, Doctor of Law, professor, dean of the faculty of law in 1894-1895, leading specialist in criminal executive law; Y. Dobrianskyi, Doctor of Law, prominent researcher of the Austrian criminal law and others.

In the XX century the department staff comprised renowned professors such as: Y. Makarevych, Doctor of Law, professor of the Universities in Krakow and Lviv, worked as Dean of the law faculty at Lviv university in 1909-1910, rector of Lviv university in 1923-1924; M. Pashe-Ozerskyi, Doctor of Law, chairperson of the department of criminal law and procedure of Lviv university in 1940-1941 and 1944-1947, rector of Lviv university in 1944.

1962. Stanik, Candidate of Law, docent, chairperson of the department of criminal law and procedure in 1957-1962. M. Naklovych, Candidate of Law, docent, a well-known researcher of such issues as criminal and legal combat against embezzlement of public and collective property. A. Boiko, Doctor of Law, professor, was elected as chairperson of the department on December 3, 2003. In October 2014 Burdin Volodymyr Mykolayovych, Doctor of Law, professor was appointed as chairperson of the department. At present he works as Dean of the law faculty.

In September 2015 Vasylash Vasyl Mykhailovych, candidate of law, docent was appointed as acting chairperson of the department.