The article reveals the main amendments made in the draft of the Russian Federation Criminal Code, proposed by July 2015 Ruling of the Plenum of the Russian Federation Supreme Court, demonstrates their range. One of the amendments, i. e. Article 76² of the RF Criminal Code draft, is assessed in the paper from the standpoint of observance of human rights. The article in question provides special grounds for release from criminal liability and its replacement by other measures under criminal law. There have been marked departures from the constitutional provisions. Thus the author draws a conclusion that, firstly, in-depth examination of all proposed amendments as well as urgent issues of the criminal law (e. g. draft correspondence with the constitution, depenalization, decriminalization etc.) is necessary. Secondly, it would be possible as an experiment to consider in the draft law only medium-gravity crimes characterized by the features mentioned in the paper. For example, to depenalize mediumgravity crimes and minor offences it is essential to reveal the roots of their growth, types of punishment, repetition of crime after conviction and other indices. It is necessary to analyze the character of minor and medium-gravity crimes mentioned in the special part of the RF Criminal Code, to compare the criminal deterrence of criminal sanctions for medium-gravity crimes and minor offences with administrative penalties.