Legal

• 1864 - judicial reforms. High salaries were given to the higher officials in the judicial system to avoid bribery; trials became public; in the open courts, evidence were to present orally and the evidence would be cross-examined; trial by jury was introduced; JPs were elected by the district zemstvo every 3 years.
• Why?


  The court officials were poorly trained and some were even illiterate.

  Evidence was normally presented in written form (even though most Russian people were illiterate).

  Evidence from the nobility were given more weight than any other group. The emancipation meant that all were exposed to the legal system and relaxation on landlords so a new feudal system was needed.
• Resistance?


  The old conservative elite as they lost some of their ability to run some of the legal system (like local courts).
• Positives?


  The courts became trusted, and confidence and respect from all society groups.
• Negatives?


  Special courts for specific crimes (like terrorism) would still exist and were closed courts.

  Judges would still follow their moral convictions instead of the evidntial proofs (like in the Vera Zasulich case 1878).

  The Tsar retained the rights to impose martial law in the case of emergency in response to terrorist activity in 1870s.