The prosecutor’s participation in criminal proceedings on revision of judicial decisions in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century — the beginning of the 20th century

Abstract

The article, based on the analysis of normative acts, statistical materials and practice of law application, examines the development of legal status and actual role of the Prosecutor in criminal proceedings when reviewing court decisions in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century — the beginning of the 20th century. It is established that before the judicial reform of 1864, prosecutors were not completely independent in the implementation of their right to protest the court decisions. This activity was under the control of the provincial prosecutors and the Ministry of Justice. As a result of the judicial reform, the legal position of the Prosecutor’s office in the proceedings for the review of court decisions has changed significantly. Prosecutors obtained procedural independence to protest the sentences on appeal and cassation. Prosecutors had no right to withdraw the protests of their subordinates. At the legislative level, the Minister of Justice was removed from resolving issues of prosecutors’ protests, however, in practice, he interfered in this process, including for political reasons. The prosecutor’s office protested a relatively small number of sentences, but significantly more than in the pre-reform period. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Prosecutor’s office’s activity in protesting court decisions significantly intensified. At the same time, the policy of the Ministry of Justice led to protests by prosecutors of many acquittals. The analysis of judicial practice showed that the Prosecutor’s office, performing a law-protecting function, protested court decisions not only in the interests of the prosecution, but also in the interests of the defendants. At the same time, more than half of all the Prosecutor’s office’s protests were satisfied, which indicates that they are quite effective.