The identifiable victim effect suggests that images of murder victims taken before their deaths can increase positive perceptions of those victims, potentially influencing jurors' decision-making. We investigated whether viewing pre-mortem photographs of murder victims biased jurors' perceptions of the victim, and consequently their judgments of the defendant. Across three between-subjects experimental studies (total Ns = 2,456), participants who viewed pre-mortem photographs of the victim (vs. did not view) rated the victim more positively. These more positive perceptions, in turn, predicted a higher likelihood of rendering guilty verdicts. Notably, the effect was stronger for White and Black victims than for Latina victims. These findings suggest that even well-intentioned uses of pre-mortem photographs may inadvertently bias jurors and contribute to racial disparities in the administration of justice.

Introduction. The paper analyses the administrative and legal framework governing the cancellation of political party registration in Ukraine due to the failure to nominate candidates in nationwide elections over a ten‑year period. The study outlines the constitutional foundations of party activity, as reflected in the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, with emphasis on the constitutional purpose of political parties, the limits of freedom of association, and the requirement of continuous political participation as an element of democratic pluralism. The purpose of the paper is to clarify the legal nature and constitutional justification of the ten‑year non‑nomination rule and to assess its practical application. The research aims to determine the legal meaning of this period, analyse whether martial law affects its calculation, and evaluate scholarly proposals concerning the introduction of pre‑trial mechanisms for addressing violations. Results. The paper demonstrates that recent case law of the Supreme Court and appellate administrative courts has established a uniform approach to interpreting the ten‑year period as a continuous timeframe immediately preceding the Ministry of Justice’s application to the court. It is shown that cancellation of party registration is not a sanction but a legal acknowledgement of the factual absence of political activity. The analysis confirms that martial law does not suspend or interrupt the calculation of the period, as legislation provides no such exceptions. Academic proposals to introduce a pre‑trial mechanism are critically assessed and found incompatible with the constitutional nature of political parties and the principle of legal certainty. Conclusion. The paper concludes that the mechanism for cancelling political party registration is systemic, constitutionally grounded, and essential for ensuring genuine political competition and maintaining the stability of the party system. The ten‑year non‑nomination rule functions as an objective indicator of the absence of political activity and ensures that the register of political parties reflects entities that fulfil their constitutional role in a democratic society.

ABSTRACT The Second World War drew attention to diverse forms of military violence and the devastating impact of wartime, especially wartime occupation, on civilian populations. While the post-war trials that followed have often been remembered for establishing codified protections for civilians during conflict, they also offer a rare window into the mechanisms of military rule. Trials dealing with the so-called “denial of fair trial”, for example, shed light on the administration of military justice in occupied areas, a much-understudied facet of Japanese wartime conduct. This article analyses four post-war trials conducted by Australian and British military courts, each involving charges related to the nascent concept of “denial of fair trial” in 1946, whether explicitly as part of the charges or as context for the crimes of murder and killing. It situates this analysis within the context of the regulatory framework that informed the functioning of Japanese military justice in occupied territories in order to advance the historical understanding of this legal system, the challenges it encountered during the Asia-Pacific War and its contribution to Japan’s wartime misconduct. The article demonstrates that certain issues of fairness raised by Allied judge advocates were embedded within the regulatory framework. It also draws attention to structural weaknesses within the system which precipitated a wider streamlining of judicial procedures in the final months of war. In so doing, the article highlights the potential systemic and structural underpinnings of wartime violence towards civilians.

The article highlights the current state and prospects for the development of the principles of administrative justice, which form the basis for ensuring the dynamism of administrative justice, its ability to adapt in conditions of martial law and post-war reconstruction, as well as the establishment of the rule of law in Ukraine. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the principles of administrative justice in Ukraine – from the first stages of its formation with limited powers of the courts and a formal approach to understanding the principle of legality to the modern human-centric model, which is based on a system of principles of the rule of law, justice, good faith, etc. The author examines the constitutional basis of the basic principles, their development in procedural and special legislation, as well as the transformation of traditional principles under the influence of new challenges – European integration processes, full-scale armed aggression and technological transformation of society. The article pays special attention to the principles of administrative procedure, which establish standards for the activities of state authorities and local self-government, as well as international standards for the protection of human rights and the principles of European administrative law, which are integrated into the national system. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn about the gradual departure from excessive formalism in law enforcement and the strengthening of the role of the court as an active guarantor of human rights. The author emphasizes the shift in emphasis from the formal possibility of applying to the court to ensuring real and effective access to justice, including the proper execution of court decisions. The main directions for further development of the principles of administrative justice are identified, in particular, taking into account the establishment of the priority of national security in wartime, the proper implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in the field of justice, the formation of the principle of responsibility to future generations in cases of environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as the protection of new public interests, in particular in the digital sphere. Keywords: rule of law, administrative justice, administrative procedure, legitimate expectations, good governance, principle of responsibility towards future generations, artificial intelligence.

The medico-legal system forms a critical interface between medicine and law, pivotal for the administration of justice. Its integrity, however, is frequently compromised by the absence of standardized protocols and a formal accreditation frame work. The integration of robust quality accreditation systems, drawing parallels from established healthcare standards like the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), is essential to address this deficiency. These standards can also be applicable to certain aspects in the field of forensic – State Forensic Labs and Forensic Histopathology labs. Maintaining healthcare standards and following protocols also reduces the medicolegal burden of hospitals. A structured quality management system is imperative for ensuring precision, accountability, and integrity in all medico-legal procedures. This is particularly crucial for post-mortem examinations, where the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for autopsy performance, dead body management, chain of custody for sample preservation, and compliant biomedical waste management prevents evidentiary contamination and procedural lapses. Also following a standard report ing format can make sure the quality of reporting is not compromised. Adopting a formal accreditation process would minimize errors, enhance the scientific validity of forensic findings, and ensure uniformity across different centres. A quality-accredited medico-legal framework is fundamental to upholding the principles of justice, ensuring defensibility in court, and strengthening public confidence in both the medical and legal systems.

This article examines how the materiality of the public mortuary reshaped the urban governance of death and gave rise to the hygienic modernity in modern Shanghai. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the Shanghai Municipal Council had built mortuaries in the Shanghai International Settlement to uphold public health and facilitate the administration of justice. As the number of Chinese people in the Settlement skyrocketed, the Council endeavored to extend mortuary-based death management from the Westerners to the Chinese population. The public mortuary functioned as a node within Shanghai’s expanding urban infrastructure system, including the hospital, cemetery, and police force. Meanwhile, the mortuary exposed the contestation between the Shanghai Municipal Council, the medical professionals, Chinese local authorities, and Chinese residents, whose cultural and material practices concerning corpse examination and death rituals often diverged from the mortuary-based ones. By foregrounding the materiality and infrastructural politics of death management, this article argues that the public mortuary constituted a contested site through which various actors negotiated and appropriated the meanings of death and ultimately contributed to the local formation of hygienic modernity in modern Shanghai.

Objective: to explore the advantages, challenges and implications of integrating technologies, particularly online dispute resolution, into the dispute resolution system in India, with a particular focus on consumer protection disputes. Methods: the authors use general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as systematic, functional and comparative-legal approaches to systematically study the concept of online dispute resolution, its historical evolution and practical application with an emphasis on mediation procedures. The work is based on a doctrinal, qualitative approach with an analysis of current legislation, consumer protection standards, and the practice of judicial systems. Results: The results obtained indicate that online technologies significantly increase the efficiency and accessibility of dispute resolution. However, in India, their development faces serious obstacles, including the technical illiteracy of the population, the digital divide, concerns about the security and confidentiality of personal data, and the lack of clear regulatory legal documents. These restrictions hinder equal access to justice and highlight the need to develop comprehensive public policies and improve digital infrastructure. The work revealed a complementary role of artificial intelligence, electronic mediation and blockchain technology in ensuring fair and effective resolution of consumer disputes. Scientific novelty: it consists in a comprehensive review of the role of online dispute resolution within the Indian consumer protection system, taking into account modern technological transformations. The authors identify technological, legal and ethical issues that arise in this process and offer a vision of how digital transformation affects the administration of justice in the field of consumer protection. Practical significance: The study highlights the critical importance of strengthening digital infrastructure, increasing the level of digital and legal literacy of the population, and creating legislation to support the effective implementation of online dispute resolution in the Indian justice system. The work contains suggestions and recommendations for public and judicial authorities, technology developers and all stakeholders involved in the integration of digital tools into resolving consumer disputes, while ensuring fairness, inclusiveness and equal access for all participants in legal relations.

In accordance with Article 118 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the independence of administrative justice is justified by the constitutional division of judicial proceedings into separate types. Under this approach, administrative justice is considered a derivative type of justice that is comparable to administrative proceedings. Given the insufficient level of legislative and doctrinal certainty regarding the administration of justice in the Russian legal system, the article focuses on developing scientifically grounded criteria for assessing the essence, place, and role of administrative justice, based on a comprehensive analysis of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws that define the procedures for certain types of administrative proceedings in the Russian Federation. The presented results of a comprehensive study of the constitutional norms and norms of federal laws governing certain types of administrative proceedings allowed us to draw a generalizing conclusion that administrative justice is the basic basis of the judicial administrative process in the Russian Federation. Accordingly, the structure of administrative justice is presented as the framework of the judicial administrative process carried out in the Russian Federation. The purpose, main objectives, and functions of administrative justice, in turn, are revealed as special legal categories that ensure the integrity of the judicial administrative process in the Russian Federation, as well as define the social purpose, system, and priority areas of development for this legal process.

Witness protection is indispensable to the effective administration of justice because witnesses who face intimidation, retaliation, or violence are less likely to cooperate with law enforcement and judicial institutions. Despite growing scholarship on witness protection, comparative studies rarely examine how constitutional foundations, legal frameworks, and administrative enforcement mechanisms interact across jurisdictions with different levels of institutional development. This article aims to analyse the constitutional, legal, and procedural dimensions of witness protection in Nigeria, India, and the United States in order to identify major weaknesses, institutional contrasts, and reform lessons. Using doctrinal legal research combined with a comparative approach, the study examines constitutions, statutes, policy instruments, judicial decisions, and relevant scholarly literature from the three jurisdictions. The study finds that the United States has the most institutionalised and effective witness protection regime, supported by a clear statutory basis, administrative coordination, and sustained state capacity. India has made important progress by constitutionalising witness protection through judicial intervention and by adopting the Witness Protection Scheme, but its implementation remains uneven due to procedural delays, inter-state disparities, and limited resources. Nigeria, by contrast, continues to face the most serious structural deficiencies, including weak institutional coordination, restricted legal coverage, political interference, corruption, and inadequate funding. The novelty of this article lies in its integrated comparison of constitutional recognition, legal design, and practical enforcement across three contrasting systems, showing that effective witness protection depends not only on legal rules but also on institutional autonomy and administrative capacity. The article argues that reform in Nigeria and further consolidation in India must be grounded in each country’s socio-political and legal context.

Trial by media is a phrase popular in the late 20th Century and early 21st Century to describe the impact of television and newspaper coverage on a person’s reputation by creating a widespread perception of guilt or innocence before, or after, a verdict in a court of law. In recent times, there have been numerous instances in which media has conducted the trial of an accused and has passed the verdict even before the court passes its judgment. The Honourable Supreme Court reiterated that the media and the judiciary are institutions inhabiting separate spheres and their functions do not overlap. One cannot and must not use the other for discharge of its functions. It was observed that media should only engage in acts of journalism and not act as a special agency for the court. The use of freedom of speech and expression amounting to interference with the administration of justice due to the prejudicial nature of certain media coverage is highlighted through this research. Development of media nationally and internationally, and perception of media are also described in this article. Media is considered to be the fourth pillar of democracy, after Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Media as fourth pillar was coined by Thomas Caryle. As such the Indian Constitution does not provide freedom for media separately. But there is an indirect provision for media freedom. It gets derived from Article 19 (1) (a) . This Article guarantees freedom of speech and expression. The freedom of mass media is derived indirectly from this Article. Article 19 of our Constitution deals with the right to freedom and it enumerates certain rights regarding individual freedom of speech and expression etc. Media being a very powerful influence on the society is regulated and controlled by various legislations enacted from time to time. By analysing the present provisions and landmark judgments, we will go through the role of fair media trial under the democratic Indian justice system.

The exploration of OECD PMR and World Bank data, allowed to understand the impact of regulation on the notarial activity as well as the notarial performances (property transfer and company incorporation) compared to countries not adopting notaries. The last edition of the PMR indicator, as in the past OECD report, shows a trend of negative correlation between level of regulation and cost paid by the consumer for the property transfer. A higher level of regulation therefore tendo to produce better results for consumers precisely because the notary is part of the administration of justice and his services represent a "public good". As regards the comparison of scores between countries that adopt the notary and others that adopt other systems, the analysis of the B-Ready data shows better performances of the countries with notaries both for real estate transfers and for company incorporation. These findings invite a broader reconsideration of how regulation is conceptualized and measured in the context of legal services. From an economic standpoint, the civil law notariat is not a regulatory anomaly, but a functionally efficient institutional design that internalizes market failures, such as information asymmetry, contractual incompleteness, and enforcement risk, at the very heart of transactional life. The data presented throughout the paper demonstrate that regulation does not necessarily entail inefficiency. On the contrary, well-calibrated regulatory frameworks—such as those governing notaries—may reduce total transaction costs by providing legal certainty ex ante, thereby lowering litigation, renegotiation, and enforcement costs ex post. Therefore, this paper calls for a redefinition of what constitutes “efficient regulation” in the legal sector. It advocates for evaluation tools that take into account not only market openness but also the institutional role of legal professionals in delivering public value through trust, risk reduction, and systemic coherence. Such a shift is not merely technical; it is foundational for ensuring that regulatory reform enhances both market performance and legal robustness.

Digital Forensics has become an indispensable tool in contemporary cybercrime investigations, which ensures systematic identification, collection, preservation, and presentation of electronic evidence in a legally admissible manner. As cybercrimes continue to escalate, investigative authorities are required to operate across multiple digital domains, including personal devices, mobile platforms, cloud infrastructures, and transnational communication networks, with strict adherence to the law. Digital forensics is important not only because it can recover the deleted or concealed data, but also because it ensures that the evidence remains authentic and untouched throughout the investigation. Due to its dual emphasis on both technology and law, it effectively bridges the gap between technical accuracy and legal accountability. Despite being so advanced in the contemporary world, the field of digital forensics still faces persistent challenges. The extensive reliance on data encryption, rapid technological innovations, and the issue of complex jurisdiction in cross-border investigations complicate and hamper the effective use of digital forensics. Moreover, the escalation of data generated in the digital age raises concerns about privacy, transparency, and the timely administration of justice. Addressing these concerns requires some advanced and well-developed standardized forensic frameworks, legal protocols, and greater international cooperation to harmonize investigative procedures. This paper shall dwell upon the continuous evolution of the role of digital forensics in cybercrimes in the contemporary world. It shall particular ly focus on the foundations, challenges, evidentiary value, and implications for law enforcement and global cybersecurity. It shall also emphasize the strengthening of digital forensics so that harmonious international relations and global cybersecurity can be achieved.

This article critically examines the incorporation of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms into the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the reformist objectives underlying their adoption and the absence of a coherent structural and legal foundation to support their effective implementation. While the integration of ADR is intended to decongest courts, promote restorative justice, and enhance access to justice, Nigeria’s criminal justice system remains predominantly adversarial and retributive. This structural orientation generates significant tension between entrenched procedural norms and emerging reformist aspirations. The article identifies persistent legislative gaps, institutional weaknesses, procedural ambiguities, and inconsistencies in policy and practice that undermine the operational viability of ADR in criminal proceedings. It further interrogates the suitability and enforceability of ADR outcomes, particularly in cases involving serious offences where public interest considerations and victims’ rights are paramount. Employing doctrinal and empirical methodologies, the study argues that, in the absence of comprehensive legal reform, institutional capacity building, and normative reorientation of justice sector actors, the adoption of ADR in criminal justice constitutes a largely symbolic reform. The article concludes by proposing a structured framework for the principled integration of ADR into Nigeria’s criminal justice system, grounded in legislative coherence, institutional accountability, and restorative justice values, with a view to ensuring its long-term effectiveness and legitimacy.

The article advances the idea that proceedings in cases of administrative offences in courts of general jurisdiction form part of a broader procedural phenomenon that encompasses judicial authorisation of measures of administrative coercion for administrative delicts. The author proposes to designate this phenomenon as administrative delict proceedings. At present, this sphere is unjustifiably divided among three competing bodies of rules: the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation, the Code of Administrative Procedure of the Russian Federation, and the Arbitration (Commercial) Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. This situation complicates the administration of justice and creates a need for guiding clarifications for judges. The author proposes a third codification of administrative offence legislation by removing from the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation and the Arbitration (Commercial) Procedure Code of the Russian Federation the rules regulating this judicial activity and consolidating them in a standalone federal law “On Administrative Delict Proceedings.” Its subject matter should cover the following types of proceedings in courts of general jurisdiction and commercial courts: (1) cases of administrative offences; (2) resolution of certain procedural issues in administrative offence cases pending before non-judicial bodies; and (3) adoption of certain procedural response measures relating to administrative delicts outside the framework of administrative offence case proceedings. Administrative delict proceedings should be elevated to the status of a type of judicial proceedings within which administrative delict law is implemented, equivalent to the forms of justice enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. This innovation should be built on a specially developed procedural model—an administrative delict procedural form. It should envisage the court’s determination of the truth in the case under conditions of adversarial process and equality of the parties—the administrative prosecution authority and the person subject to administrative prosecution. The procedural model should also provide for an acquittal decision in an administrative offence case.

This paper examined the historical progression of criminology and its impact on the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria, focusing on the challenges and possible solutions to enhance the system. The study utilizes a dialectical review method utilizing qualitative research design, within the Social Disorganization Theory. It delves into early criminological theories, such as the theological explanations, the classical school of thought, biological theories, psychological theories, and crime in primitive societies, tracing their effects on contemporary criminology. The research also addresses the development of criminology in Nigeria, the contributions of criminology to societal advancement, and the obstacles faced by the Nigerian criminal justice framework. The results indicate that criminology has greatly aided society by elucidating human behavior, advocating for justice, and promoting social order. Nonetheless, Nigeria's criminal justice system encounters several issues, including corruption, insufficient recruitment in law enforcement, and a lack of public confidence. To tackle these challenges, the study suggests improving accountability, boosting funding and resources, implementing community-based programs, and reinforcing anti-corruption agencies. By embracing these suggestions, Nigeria's justice system can become fairer and more effective, ultimately fostering justice and safety for its citizens.

The communication of matters concerning the administration of justice constitutes an activity intrinsically connected with the public authority’s manifestation of its presence and, simultaneously, a significant instrument for safeguarding social democratic legitimacy. Nonetheless, certain information is inevitably subject to limitations — both due to specific requirements of justice, namely to ensure the proper conduct of procedures in the investigative as well as the trial phases (each with its own particularities), and, where applicable, to protect the privacy rights of all parties involved. Within the Italian legal system, such justice-related limitations may be characterised as implicit and public-law in nature, precisely in light of the functions they fulfil. From this public-law perspective, however, it is necessary to balance the need to guarantee, when required, the confidentiality of the relevant data with the broader principle of publicity that ordinarily governs judicial measures. This framework — shaped by administrative necessities and communicative considerations regarding the accessibility or confidentiality of information relating to legal proceedings — also encompasses procedures falling under the domain of restorative justice. This expression refers to the set of activities formally intended to facilitate relational restoration following the commission of an unlawful act of a criminal nature. Given the specific features of this field — chief among them the fact that these are non-punitive activities which, by design, may involve heightened participation of victims and persons harmed by the offence — particular reflections arise concerning the disclosure of related information. Equally significant, and in a particularly distinctive manner, is the potential mediatic framing of the facts under consideration. Inserting narratives on restorative justice practices into a wider media-driven process can give rise to sharply divergent reactions. In essence, communication concerning rights — especially those that provoke public debate — intersects with characteristic social categorizations, most notably those of “deservingness” and “undeservingness”, which influence not only the quality but also the very sustainability of the full expression of thought. No less relevant within this overall framework are the issues associated with the algorithmic management of informational elements pertaining to the sphere of justice.

Administering justice is a critical role of the state that recognizes individuals' rights, assures impartial reprisal for wrongdoing, and promotes communal harmony. The judicial institution serves as the central mechanism for the proper administration of justice. To reach the right judgment, a fair, independent, and unbiased judicial process is essential. The legal system has thrived as a result of certain essential values that uphold the highest level of fairness and impartiality. As a result, Bangladesh's administration of the justice system cannot fall far behind. Since the judicial institution is at the center of the administration of justice, the research initially focuses on a thorough examination of the widely acknowledged essential core values in the judicial system. Second, the article seeks to assess Bangladesh's justice system's conformity to the justice system's inclusive essential values. Finally, the research concludes that Bangladesh's justice system has secured practically all essential principles through constitutional and legislative endorsement. Nonetheless, due to several shortcomings, the efficient legal process and accessibility of the justice system have been questioned. IIUC Studies, Vol.-21, Issue-1, Dec. 2024, pp. 67-90

The paper substantiates the point of view according to which society’s satisfaction with state power and the public’s trust in it directly depend on the quality of the criminal proceedings, its effectiveness and its provision with real guarantees of fair justice. Here, the state faces the most pressing, urgent tasks in the field of protecting the rights, freedoms, interests of society and the individual. At the same time, society’s demand for justice comes to the fore. If it is satisfied, then criminal proceedings receive serious support and trust from citizens, and gain a high level of legitimacy. The same applies to relevant state institutions and the state as a whole. The government achieves a particularly high degree of such support if it ensures the real, direct participation of the population in the administration of justice — in resolving matters of national importance. It is proposed to consider a trial with the participation of jurors as one of the main indicators of the development of the Russian democratic state. The paper examines the problems of its real relevance on the part of the state and society, its ability to bring to life the conceptual and moral principles embedded in this institution. For methodological purposes, the jury trial is proposed to be considered as a kind of model of interaction between the state and society, primarily in matters of the real distribution of power between them here. Based on this, taking into account law enforcement practice, based on statistical research data, the author analyzes the weaknesses and defects of this form of legal proceedings. As a result, it is concluded that the state is not ready to fully entrust the authorities in the administration of justice to the population. Approaches to solving the identified problems and determining the vector of development of the Russian jury trial and the state as a whole are proposed.

Indian legal scholarship operates as a self-referential system detached from judicial practice and social reality. Empirical analysis reveals that academic articles appear in merely 0.65% of Supreme Court judgments across 70 years, demonstrating negligible influence on jurisprudence. The discipline prioritises normative theorising over empirical investigation, rendering it structurally incapable of analysing systemic discrimination or operational inefficiencies within courts. The proliferation of private universities has incentivised research into ranking metrics rather than substantive contribution, creating perverse incentives that reward publication volume over intellectual rigour. This has enabled predatory journals and ghost-writing markets to flourish. Methodological limitations confine scholars to textual analysis of judgments while ignoring registry manipulation, bail disparities, and caste-based discrimination that evade explicit documentation. The mimetic adoption of Western legal frameworks without corresponding institutional capacity produces speculative scholarship divorced from ground realities. The discipline requires fundamental reorientation toward empirical methods, courtroom ethnography, and quantitative analysis to regain relevance and fulfil its obligation to critically examine justice administration rather than merely validate judicial rhetoric.

ABSTRACT The criminal code of a country serves as the foundation for both punishing individuals for public wrongdoings and serving as a social deterrence. The United Nations’ 1985 Declaration on Basic Principles of Crime and Abuse of Power was the sowing ground for victims’ rights. Since then, attempts have been made to improve the victim’s conditions as the awareness that the victim is at the centre of the entire criminal justice system has emerged. There has been a paradigm shift in the tactic of criminal justice system towards victims of crime around the world however in India, there has been a reluctance on the part of legislature, executive and judiciary to recognise the role of the victims. At present, the victim’s point of view is limited to the boundaries of the criminal justice system. The victim is involved when the first details are given, and again when the prosecution summons them in person to testify. The victim is largely disregarded in the criminal justice system.