Theoretical and legal justification of juvenile justice in Russia

The article is devoted to the analysis of the theoretical and legal foundations of the development of juvenile justice in Russia, and to the assessment of its prospects as an independent direction of legal policy. The authors propose fundamental principles of juvenile justice, summarize the scientific discourse on the place of juvenile justice in the Russian legal system: three competing approaches are highlighted – the autonomization of the branch, the implementation of juvenile justice into existing branches, and the denial of the necessity of its implementation. The arguments of supporters and opponents of juvenile justice are considered, as well as the practical results of the implementation of pilot projects in various constituent entities of the Russian Federation.