Geographical approach to determining access to justice in criminal cases (on the example of district courts of the Kurgan region)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to test the extent to which courts of general jurisdiction in some regions of the Russian Federation are accessible to the population from a geographical point of view. The object of the study was the district courts of general jurisdiction located in the district centers of the Kurgan region, and their remoteness from the locations of local governments, law enforcement agencies, airports, bus stations and railway stations. The main research methods were the geoinformation method, the cartographic method, as well as the comparative legal method, including the analysis of the norms of the criminal procedure legislation of the Russian Federation and judicial practice. The application of the geographical approach made it possible to establish in various aspects how accessible the courts of general jurisdiction are to the population living in various municipal districts of the Kurgan region.   The conducted research revealed a number of problems related to ensuring access to justice for the local population. Despite the fact that most of the district courts of general jurisdiction in municipal districts are located within walking distance from local self-government and law enforcement bodies nearby in the district center and have good transport links with bus stations, railway stations and air terminals, yet 1/10 of the district courts remain inaccessible to the population due to remoteness and lack of good and permanent transport communication. In addition, the underdeveloped air communication of the Kurgan region with other regions of Russia does not contribute to ensuring high-quality access to justice.