The article discusses the problematic aspects of determining the legal status of the body of inquiry as a participant in criminal proceedings. It is noted that despite a number of legislative changes, a considerable number of issues concerning the procedural position of the body of inquiry in the criminal process of Russia remain unresolved. The inconsistency of the legislator in determining the list of bodies of inquiry is separately indicated, the allocation among them of those who have the right to conduct a preliminary investigation in the form of an inquiry, and those who are authorized only to initiate a criminal case and carry out urgent investigative actions. Referring to the foreign experience and the historical development of this institution in domestic legislation, the author emphasizes the unjustified narrowing (compared with the pre-revolutionary state) of the number of state institutions belonging to the bodies of inquiry. The author criticizes the legislative criterion of attribution to the bodies of inquiry, based on the sign of the implementation of operational investigative activities. Special attention is paid to the shortcomings of the legislative definitions given in Article 5 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.