The main stages of judicial reform 1722 - 1723 in Cossak-hetman state
The article discusses the causes and main stages of judicial reform 1722-1723's in the Cossack-Hetman state. It is shown that the reform was provided primarily by three universals hetman Pavlo Polubotok. Analysis of the content of the legal acts allowed to formulate the goal of reform - the establishment of clear procedures for justice, for the principle of formal equality representatives of the Cossack state, the adoption of the assessors and the fight against corruption in the judiciary. Judicial reform contributed to the consolidation of the autonomy of the Hetmanate and triggered opposition from Russia's imperial government brokered the Little Russian Collegium. Judicial reform in 1722 became one of the first attempts to introduce democratic principles of justice and the judicial system in the Cossack Hetman state. Thus democracy was limited to preserving the class structure of the courts, the interference of petty privileged stratum in the handling of cases, often they were judges in their own cases. The Russian government has used every opportunity to deal with judicial reform, viewing it as a threat of losing their influence on the political life of the Hetmanate. To this end, in the Hetmanate was put into effect a decree of the Little Russian Collegium «On new form of proceedings». Judicial reform provoked fierce opposition of the Russian government in Ukraine, which by means of intrigue and reports of ousted from power by its P. Polubotko contributed to his arrest and the consequent death of hetman.