Digital divide in access to criminal justice for victims: definition of the concept

The relevance of the study is due to the digitalization of investigative and judicial procedures and their impact on the accessibility of justice for citizens, especially victims of crime. One of the risks of digitalization is the digital divide, having a negative potential impact on the implementation of the human rights in the digital environment. The subject of the study is the digital divide in the sphere of criminal justice. The objective is to develop a scientifically grounded concept of «digital divide» in criminal proceedings in the context of access to criminal justice for victims. The hypothesis of the study assumes the possibility to identify an essential feature that distinguishes «digital divide» from other similar, but not identical, phenomena and concepts. The formal-logical method of concept definition was applied. As a result, the definition of the concept of «digital divide» in criminal proceedings, reflecting the essence and content of this phenomenon, was obtained. Conclusion: the digital divide in criminal proceedings is a violation of the principle of equality before the law and the court, committed in connection with the use of digital technology in the organization of the interaction of citizens with the bodies conducting criminal proceedings.