The Features of the Functioning of Camp Courts in the Second Half of the 1940s – Early 1950s

A special camp courts were one of the important links of the Soviet state mechanism. Th e purpose of the article is to determine the main features of the functioning of camp courts in the second half of the 1940s – early 1950s. Th e author points to the higher material content of the employees of the camp courts in comparison with the people’s courts and to the low material support of the activities of these bodies. Th ey experienced a shortage of offi ce space, transport, housing for employees. Th ere is clearly an insuffi cient participation of lawyers in the court sessions of the camp courts. Th e main reasons for this were subjective factors. On the one hand, the judges were worried about the possibility of an independent defense lawyer. On the other hand, the defenders were not interested in appearing in the camp courts due to the lack of material incentives.