SOCIAL PERCEPTION OF DISCIPLINARY RESPONSIBILITY OF JUDGES IN RUSSIA: ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC OPINION AND ITS IMPACT ON JUDICIAL PRACTICE

Stebivko Ivan Yurievich

Purpose: The research is aimed at analyzing the social perception of the institution of disciplinary responsibility of judges in the Russian Federation and identifying the nature of the influence of public opinion on judicial practice. The work aims to identify key contradictions between existing legal mechanisms and their assessment by civil society. Methods: The research is based on a systematic approach that combines the analysis of regulatory legal acts regulating the disciplinary responsibility of judges and the study of sociological research data reflecting the level of public confidence in the judicial system. Methods of comparative legal and statistical analysis were used, as well as content analysis of media materials and official court portals. Results: It has been established that there is a steady demand in society to increase the transparency and accountability of the judiciary. An imbalance has been revealed between the real grounds for holding judges accountable and their simplified perception in the public consciousness, where disciplinary responsibility is often associated solely with the correctness of a court decision. It is shown that public opinion has an indirect, rather than direct, influence on judicial practice, manifested in the increased attention of judges to compliance with procedural norms. Conclusions: It is concluded that it is necessary to increase the information openness of the judicial community and develop a systematic communication strategy to explain the criteria and procedures for disciplinary responsibility to citizens. To strengthen confidence in justice, a set of measures has been proposed, including the development of constructive forms of public control, updating educational programs for judges and improving methods for evaluating the effectiveness of disciplinary procedures. The prospects for further research are related to the study of the regional specifics of the perception of judicial power and the professional consciousness of the judiciary.

Keywords:social perception, disciplinary responsibility, judiciary, public opinion, judicial system, trust in justice, judicial qualification boards, judicial ethics, transparency of justice, judicial community, judicial accountability, legal awareness, judicial practice, judicial community bodies, judicial efficiency