NCJ Number
231341
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2010 Pages: 173-199
Date Published
2010
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This study examined how contextual cultural factors impacted Russian citizens' attitudes about reform of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code.
Abstract
In 2001, the Russian Criminal Procedure Code was substantially reformed and replaced the 1960 Criminal Procedure Code of the RSFSR. One major reform element was a revocation of the trial judge's authority to remand a case for additional investigation, which had been allowed by the Soviet criminal procedural code. This study examined citizen support for limiting the judge's remand authority. A self-report survey was administered to a representative sample of the Russian Federation (N=1,640) during the summer of 2006. Structural-equation modeling was used to analyze the results. Two research hypotheses were evaluated: 1) citizens with a collectively-oriented value system would reject the reform as unfair, and 2) those with individualistically-oriented values would perceive it as fair; both were validated. More than one-half of respondents (62.3 percent) reported the reform as unfair. Collective social values still prevail in Russian society and influence citizen support for the adoption of adversarial criminal procedural reforms. However, the study also found individualistic values are increasing in younger age groups and among males. Figures, tables, notes, references, and appendix (Published Abstract)