Implementation of the Principle of Competition as a Guarantee of The Rights of Participants at Various Stages of The Criminal Process

Abstract

The study aims to examine how the adversarial principle safeguards participants’ rights in Russian criminal proceedings. The authors employed formal legal and systemic analysis, comparison, synthesis, and a thematic literature review. The findings identify three interconnected elements: procedural rights, corresponding official duties, and accessible judicial review. Their implementation requires timely legal assistance during investigation, effective participation and reasoned decisions at trial, and informed, voluntary choices in special proceedings. The authors conclude that protection depends on the continuity of safeguards across procedural stages and forms. Strengthening these mechanisms can reconcile procedural efficiency with fair adjudication and effective protection of participants’ rights