The article analyzes the features of the formation and development of world justice in the Irkutsk province in the context of Judicial reform in the regions of Siberia at the end of the XIX century. The legal basis for the formation of the Institute of World Justice in the Irkutsk province was the Law of May 13, 1896 on the introduction of Judicial statutes in the Siberian provinces and regions. The magistrates’ courts formed on the basis of this Law successfully functioned in the Irkutsk province from 1897 to 1917. The legal status of justices of the peace in the Irkutsk province, as well as in Siberia as a whole, was based on the appointment, turnover and dependence of these judges. In addition to the judicial function, magistrates were assigned additional functions – investigative and notarial. The need for magistrates to perform non-judicial functions led to their large excess workload. Such a workload of magistrates in almost every district of the Irkutsk province had a negative impact on the quality of the administration of justice: procedural deadlines were often violated; law enforcement mistakes were made; the rights of defendants, victims and persons under investigation were violated. In this regard, an increase in the number of magistrates’ precincts and a partial revision of their boundaries in order to more evenly burden magistrates was an urgent need. During the judicial reform in Siberia, it was decided to refuse to create a congress of magistrates as an appellate instance for magistrates’ courts. This function was assigned in the Irkutsk province to the Irkutsk District Court, which led to an increase in its workload. Much attention is paid to the study of the main problems of the organization and functioning of magistrates’ courts in the Irkutsk province in the late XIX – early XX centuries. According to the results of the study, the author attributed to such problems: insufficient financing of magistrates’ courts; lack of qualified judicial personnel and their high turnover; poor living conditions of magistrates’ courts in rural and other remote areas. However, in general, the author comes to the conclusion that the magistrates’ courts in the Irkutsk province functioned much better than the pre-reform courts. They were closer and more accessible to the public and dealt with criminal and civil cases more quickly.

Judicial reform of 1864, judicial reform in Siberia at the end of the XIX century, Justice of the Peace in Irkutsk province in the late XIX – early XX centuries

Ignatenko Victor Vasilievich – Doctor of Juridical Science, Professor, Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Director of the Institute of Legal Studies, Baikal State University (11, Lenin st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation), ORCID: 0000-0001-6215-3799, RSCI Author ID: 330363, e-mail: ignatenkovv@bgu.ru

Ignatenko V. V. Stanovlenie i razvitie mirovoj yusticii v Irkutskoj gubernii v konce XIX – nachale XX v.: istoriko-pravovoj aspekt [The formation and development of the justice of the peace in the Irkutsk province in the late XIX – early XX century: historical and legal aspect] Sibirskij yuridicheskij vestnik [Siberian Law Herald]. 2025, no 1(108), pp. 9–19. – DOI 10.26516/2071-8136.2025.1.9 (in Russian)

340

1. Abakumova E.T. Iz istorii provedeniya sudebnoi reformy 1864 g. Vostochnoi Sibiri [From the history of the implementation of the judicial reform of 1864 in Eastern Siberia]. Novaya Konstitutsiya SSSR i problemy pravovedeniya [New Constitution of the USSR and problems of jurisprudence]. Tomsk, 1980, pp. 44-46. (in Russian)

2. Administrativno-sudebnaya sistema Vostochnoi Sibiri kontsa XIX – nachala XX veka v litsakh i dokumentakh: materialy k entsiklopedii [Administrative and judicial system of Eastern Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in persons and documents: materials for an encyclopedia]. Comp. V.G. Vishnevskii. Irkutsk, 2004, vol. 1, 398 p. (in Russian)

3. Antsiferova L.A., Vishnevskii V.G., Vishnevskii A.V. et al. Administrativno-sudebnaya sistema Vostochnoi Sibiri kontsa XIX – nachala XX veka v litsakh i dokumentakh: materialy k entsiklopedii [Administrative and judicial system of Eastern Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in persons and documents: materials for an encyclopedia]. Irkutsk, 2022, vol. 2, 462 p. (in Russian)

4. Anuchin V. Pasynki Femidy [Stepchildren of Themis]. Sibirskie voprosy [Siberian questions], 1909, no. 46-47, pp. 29-38; no. 49-50, pp. 26-39; no. 51-52, pp. 54-71. (in Russian)

5. Buzmakova O.G. Sudebnaya vlast’ v Sibiri v kontse XIX – nachale XX v. [Judicial power in Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries]. Novosibirsk, 2012, 206 p. (in Russian)

6. Veisman R.L. Pravovye zaprosy Sibiri [Legal requests of Siberia]. Saint Petersburg, 1909, 40 p. (in Russian)

7. Veisman R.L. Yarkie nedostatki sibirskogo suda [Bright shortcomings of the Siberian court]. Sibirskie voprosy [Siberian questions], 1908, no. 3-4, pp. 41-47. (in Russian)

8. Vitrov A. Sudebnaya reforma v zemskoi Sibiri [Judicial reform in zemstvo Siberia]. Sibirskie voprosy [Siberian questions], 1906, no. 6, pp. 77-107. (in Russian)

9. Vishnevskii V.G. Osobennosti sudebnoi reformy v Vostochnoi Sibiri: 1864-1896 [Features of the judicial reform in Eastern Siberia: 1864–1896]. Cand. sci. diss. Moscow, 2008, 185 p. (in Russian)

10. Voitenkov M. Mirovoi sud’ya v Sibiri i Zabaikal’e [Justice of the peace in Siberia and Transbaikalia]. Pravo [Law], 1911, no. 11, pp. 70-78. (in Russian)

11. Derevskova V.M. Osobennosti realizatsii gosudarstvennoi reformy 1864 g. v sfere pravosudiya v Vostochnoi Sibiri [Features of the implementation of the state reform of 1864 in the field of justice in Eastern Siberia]. Vestnik Akademii Generalnoi prokuratury Rossiiskoi Federatsii [Bulletin of the Academy of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation], 2008, no. 6, pp. 53-57. (in Russian)

12. Derevskova V.M. Sozdanie mirovoi yustitsii v khode provedeniya Sudebnoi reformy v Vostochnoi Sibiri v 1896 g. [Creation of the justice of the peace during the implementation of the Judicial Reform in Eastern Siberia in 1896]. Istoriya gosudarstva i prava [History of State and Law], 2007, no. 5, pp. 18-20. (in Russian)

13. Derevskova V.M. Stanovlenie i razvitie poreformennoi sudebnoi sistemy Vostochnoi Sibiri v kontse XIX – nachale XX vv. [Formation and development of the post-reform judicial system of Eastern Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries]. Irkutsk, 2004, 344 p. (in Russian)

14. Dzhanshiev G.A. Iz epokhi velikikh reform [From the era of great reforms]. Moscow, 1894, 716 p. (in Russian)

15. Emelyanov N.N. Sudebnye preobrazovaniya v Sibiri [Judicial transformations in Siberia]. Russkii vestnik [Russian Bulletin], 1899, no. 2, pp. 776–782. (in Russian)

16. Ignat’eva M.N. Sudebnaya reforma v Sibiri [Judicial reform in Siberia]. Yakutsk, Yakutpoligrafizdat Publ., 1993, 156 p. (in Russian)

17. Koryagin B.G. Iz istorii provedeniya sudebnoi reformy v Zapadnoi Sibiri [From the history of the implementation of the judicial reform in Western Siberia]. Trudy Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Proceedings of Tomsk State University], 1965, vol. 159, pp. 154-163. (in Russian)

18. Krest’yannikov E.A. Pasynki Femidy: obustroistvo deyatel’nosti mirovykh sudei Zapadnoi Sibiri v kontse XIX – nachale XX v. [Stepchildren of Themis: arrangement of the activities of justices of the peace in Western Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries]. Sibirskii istoricheskii zhurnal [Siberian Historical Journal], 2006, no. 2, pp. 24-37. (in Russian)

19. Krest’yannikov E.A. Kamery i uchastki mirovykh sudei v dorevolyutsionnoi Sibiri [Chambers and precincts of justices of the peace in pre-revolutionary Siberia]. Rossiiskaya istoriya [Russian History], 2024, no. 3, pp. 115-125. (in Russian)

20. Krest’yannikov E.A. Osobennosti ustroistva instituta mirovykh sudei v dorevolyutsionnoi Sibiri: voprosy sudeiskoi nezavisimosti i ispolneniya nesudebnykh obyazannostei [Features of the structure of the institution of justices of the peace in pre-revolutionary Siberia: issues of judicial independence and the performance of non-judicial duties]. Vestnik Tomskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta [Bulletin of Tomsk State University], 2017, no. 417, pp. 94-102. (in Russian)

21. Krest’yannikov E.A. Proekty ustroistva sibirskoi mirovoi yustitsii 90-kh gg. XIX veka [Projects for the organization of Siberian justice of the peace in the 1890s]. Mirovoi sud’ya [Justice of the Peace], 2016, no. 4, pp. 3-8. (in Russian)

22. Krest’yannikov E.A. Reformirovanie mirovoi yustitsii Zapadnoi Sibiri v nachale XX veka [Reforming the justice of the peace in Western Siberia in the early 20th century]. Fundamentalnye issledovaniya [Fundamental Research], 2014, no. 12-10, pp. 2240-2244. (in Russian)

23. Krest’yannikov E.A. Usloviya zhizni i deyatel’nosti mirovykh sudei Zapadnoi Sibiri v kontse XIX – nachale XX v. [Living and working conditions of justices of the peace in Western Siberia in the late 19th – early 20th centuries]. Gumanitarnye nauki v Sibiri [Humanities in Siberia], 2011, no. 2, pp. 26-29. (in Russian)

24. Mikhaelis D.V. Gosudarstvennoe dovolstvie i lgoty mirovykh sudei v Irkutskoi gubernii v 1896–1917 gg. [State allowance and benefits of justices of the peace in the Irkutsk province in 1896–1917]. Izvestiya laboratorii drevnikh tekhnologii [Bulletin of the Laboratory of Ancient Technologies], 2022, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 173-180. 10.21285/2415-8739-2022-1-173-180 (in Russian)

25. Mikhaelis D.V. Istoriya sozdaniya i razvitiya mirovogo suda v Irkutskoi gubernii v 1896–1917 gg. [History of the creation and development of the justice of the peace in the Irkutsk province in 1896–1917]. Cand. sci. diss. abstr. Ulan-Ude, 2024, 22 p. (in Russian)

26. Mikhaelis D.V. Istoriya sozdaniya i razvitiya mirovogo suda v Irkutskoi gubernii v 1896–1917 gg. [History of the creation and development of the justice of the peace in the Irkutsk province in 1896–1917]. Cand. sci. diss. Irkutsk, 2024, 207 p. (in Russian)

27. Mikhaelis D.V. K voprosu ob izmenenii statusa mirovoi yustitsii v Rossiiskoi imperii v period kontrreform 1881–1917 gg. (na primere Sibirskogo regiona) [On the issue of changing the status of the justice of the peace in the Russian Empire during the counter-reforms of 1881–1917 (on the example of the Siberian region)]. Vestnik Kalmytskogo universiteta [Bulletin of Kalmyk University], 2022, no. 4, pp. 45-50. 10.53315/1995-0713-2022-56-4-45-50. (in Russian)

28. Mikhaelis D.V. Osveshchenie sudebnoi reformy 1864 g. i deyatelnost sudebnoi sistemy v pechatnykh izdaniyakh Rossii [Coverage of the judicial reform of 1864 and the activities of the judicial system in Russian printed publications]. Problemy sotsialno-ekonomicheskogo razvitiya Sibiri [Problems of Socio-Economic Development of Siberia], 2021, no. 2, pp. 133-136. 10.18324/2224-1833-2021-2-133-136. (in Russian)

29. Mirovaya yustitsiya v Rossii: sozdanie, deyatelnost, istoricheskaya missiya [Justice of the peace in Russia: creation, activity, historical mission]. Monograph. Moscow, Prospekt Publ., 2016, 286 p. (in Russian)

30. Mirovoi sud’ya v Sibiri [Justice of the peace in Siberia]. Sibirskie voprosy [Siberian questions], 1911, no. 5-6, pp. 43-45. (in Russian)

31. Nemytina M.V. Sud v Rossii: vtoraya polovina XIX – nachalo XX vv. [Court in Russia: the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries]. Dr. sci. diss. Moscow, 1999, 403 p. (in Russian)

32. Reforma mestnogo suda v Sibiri [Reform of the local court in Siberia]. Tomsk, 1911, 30 p. (in Russian)

33. Sudebnye ustavy 20 noyabrya 1864 g. za pyatdesyat let [Judicial statutes of November 20, 1864, for fifty years]. Vol. 1. Petrograd, 1914, 831 p. (in Russian)

34. Tsykunov G.A., Mikhaelis D.V. Sistema mirovykh sudov v Irkutskoi gubernii v 1897-1917 gg. [The system of justices of the peace in the Irkutsk province in 1897-1917]. Sotsialno-ekonomicheskii i gumanitarnyi zhurnal [Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Journal], 2022, no. 2(24), pp. 245-258. 10.36718/2500-1825-2022-2-245-258 (in Russian)

35. Chechelev S.V. Sudebnaya reforma v Sibiri vo vtoroi polovine XIX – nachale XX vv. [Judicial reform in Siberia in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries]. Cand. sci. diss. Omsk, 2001, 205 p. (in Russian)

36. Shakherova S.L. Dorevolyutsionnaya advokatura Vostochnoi Sibiri (1885–1917 gg.) [Pre-revolutionary advocacy of Eastern Siberia (1885–1917)]. Cand. sci. diss. Irkutsk, 2001, 346 p. (in Russian)