Activity of institute of volost legal proceedings in post-reform Russia: to the 150 anniversary of adoption of judicial charters of 1864

Purpose: Consideration of activity of institute of volost legal proceedings in Russia. Methodology: The historical and legal method and formal - legal method were used. Results: In article the main milestones of formation and a form of activity of volost court are opened, value of legal custom as a source of a positive law is revealed, requirements imposed to judges of volost vessels are formulated, questions of jurisdiction of civil and criminal cases and questions of the appeal of judgments are analyzed, the main organizational aspects of the subsequent reforming of institute of volost courts are revealed, examples of the most significant judgments made by volost courts of Mordovia are given. Novelty/originality/value: Article possesses a certain scientific value as is one of the first attempts from the modern point of view to investigate questions of functioning of volost courts in Russia.