A geographical approach to determining the accessibility of justice in criminal cases (using the example of the district courts of general jurisdiction of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra)

The article is devoted to the study of the geographical accessibility of courts of general jurisdiction in a number of regions of the Russian Federation. The object of the study is the district courts of general jurisdiction located in the district centers of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, as well as public relations in the field of criminal procedure affecting the activities of participants in criminal proceedings. The subject of the study includes the remoteness of district courts of general jurisdiction from executive authorities, transport hubs (and their remoteness from the locations of local governments, law enforcement agencies, airports, bus stations and railway stations) and remote settlements; criminal procedure rules and regulations governing public access to justice; the degree of accessibility of the district courts to the public in general. The main research methods are the geoinformation method, the cartographic method, as well as the comparative legal method, including an 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 the degree of accessibility of courts of general jurisdiction for the population living in various municipal districts of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Yugra. The conducted research revealed a number of problems related to ensuring access to justice for the local population, as well as for the indigenous peoples of the North. Despite the fact that most of the district courts of general jurisdiction in municipal areas are located within walking distance from nearby local government and law enforcement agencies in the district center, and also have good transport links to bus stations, railway stations and air terminals, a certain proportion of judicial authorities remain difficult to access for the population living in remote settlements of municipal areas. Access to appellate and cassation courts also remains difficult for a number of participants in criminal proceedings.