JUDICIAL CHAMBERS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE: ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

The article analyses the development of the judicial system on the territories of the Russian Empire. Among the 19th-century reforms implemented by the Russian Empire, the judicial reform of 1864 stands out as particularly noteworthy. This is primarily due to the need to reassess the processes of judicial system reform in the Russian Empire and the potential application of this experience in modern Ukraine. A key element of this reform was the establishment of judicial chambers. Their formation began in 1866 and was completed by the early 20th century. Purpose is to reveal the process of organization and formation of the judiciary in the Russian Empire at the end of the 8th century in the context of state reform and its spread to all territories of the empire, as well as to Ukrainian lands. Methods: analysis of archival documents, comparative historical method, systematic analysis, chronological approach, and method of historical reconstruction. Scientific novelty. The article examines for the first time the formation and development of judicial chambers in the Russian Empire, including on the territory of Ukraine. Results. The article reconstructs the historical development of the 1864 judicial reform based on the analysis of legal acts and historical-legal literature. Based on examining historical-legal aspects of the judiciary system’s formation, the approaches and principles in organizing the judicial branch of power are outlined. Conclusions. The judicial chambers operating in Ukraine during the period under study played an important role in the formation of an independent and autonomous court, separate from the executive and administrative branches. They were created both to protect the personal interests of the population and to strengthen state power. The beginning of the 20th century marked the final stage of the Ukrainian lands’ stay in the Russian Empire and the existence of the empire itself. The Revolution of 1905–1907 and the First World War became serious tests for the state apparatus and judicial system of the Russian Empire.