Most Russians do not feel they face discrimination in their daily life. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said that nobody had violated their rights over the past year, while 20% said that their rights had been violated. Compared to responses in 2003, the percentage of respondents reporting that their rights have been violated has dramatically fallen from 32% to 20%.

In response to an open-ended question about what kind of discrimination they had faced, those surveyed mostly complained about the violation of their rights by their employers. Remarkably, complaints about employers show the most dramatic decline, from 11% to 5%. Respondent comments include statements such as: "they withheld my salary," "they break the Labor Code," "my employer fails to pay me my insurance," "they made my position redundant and fired me, although I am a single mother."

Some (2% each) complain about public utilities and healthcare: "the heating pipes broke in spring, and they barely came to help us," "we paid for heating and it was cut off for two weeks," "doctors don’t want to help me when I am sick. They say I’m too old."

Some 4% of all respondents complained about the police, lawyers, tax officers and other officials who are supposed to be the chief guardians of law and order.

Only a quarter of those who say they have experienced a violation of their rights over the past year (5% of all respondents) add that they went to the authorities to seek protection of their rights, but three-quarters (15%) did not opt to go to court. These latter respondents were asked why they did not take legal. Most (4% of those surveyed) said it would have been useless, others said they didn't have enough money and were reluctant to engage in bureaucratic procedures (2% each).

Still, the idea of taking legal action is slowly gaining popularity. The percentage of Russians who see legal action as a reasonable way to protect their rights has increased from 42% in 2003 to 51% today. The spectrum of respondent opinion varies depending on age. Young respondents predominantly (68%) consider taking legal action a feasible way to protect their rights (26% disagree), and senior citizens tend to hold the opposite view (29% against 50%). Thus there is a major shift in progress towards increased acceptance of courts as recourse for conflict resolution.

Perhaps it was for this reason that television channels began to broadcast televised court programs several years ago. Our poll has found that three-quarters of all adult Russians are familiar with these shows. Of the four shows tested, three (The Court Hour, The Federal Judge and Court in Session) are watched more or less regularly by 43% to 50% of Russians, and one (Family Affairs) by 23%. The first two shows are particularly popular with rural residents, and the percentage of respondents who do not watch court TV shows at all is highest in Moscow (36%).

On the whole, respondents have very positive reactions to televised court shows. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed find them ‘interesting’ and 59% say they “help increase people’s legal awareness.” Opinions are divided when it comes to the authenticity of these lawsuits. Thirty-five percent of those surveyed believe that real cases are discussed in televised trials, and 31% believe they are fictitious cases. Interestingly, the former opinion is particularly often held by persons who have an experience as plaintiffs (53% of them think that real legal proceedings are shown on TV), while the latter is mostly held by those who have been on trial themselves (40%).

Pyotr Bavin

1. Defending Rights in Courts

Have any individuals or organizations violated on your rights in the last year?

Did you appeal to the courts regarding the violation of your rights? (Asked of those reporting the cases of infringement their rights by inidivuals or organizations of the past year, 20% of the total sample.)

Does it make sense to file a lawsuit to defend one's rights?

Have you ever been to court? If so, in what capacity? (Multiple responses are possible per card.)

2. Views on TV Court Shows

Russian television regularly shows televised court programs, such as The Federal Judge, Court in Session and The Court Hour. Have you ever seen any of these programs, and if so, which ones? (Multiple responses are possible per card.)

Do televised court shows help people become more versed in legal matters? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch TV court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

Do you generally find TV court shows interesting or uninteresting? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

Are televised court shows based on real or fictitious cases? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch TV court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

Have any individuals or organizations violated on your rights in the last year?

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
yes	20	17	22	31	19	20	19	23	17	10	18	23	22	16	21	20	29	16	21	18	20	22
no	78	81	76	67	79	78	80	76	80	87	80	75	77	82	76	79	69	83	76	80	78	77
hard to answer	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	1	3	3	2	2	1	2	3	1	2	1	2	2	2	1

Did you appeal to the courts regarding the violation of your rights? (Asked of those reporting the cases of infringement their rights by inidivuals or organizations of the past year, 20% of the total sample.)

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
yes	5	4	7	6	4	5	4	6	4	1	4	5	8	5	5	4	5	3	8	4	4	5
no	15	13	15	26	16	14	15	16	13	10	14	18	14	11	16	16	20	13	14	14	15	16
hard to answer	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	1

Does it make sense to file a lawsuit to defend one's rights?

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
yes	51	56	45	25	51	51	68	51	29	28	51	53	65	42	48	57	50	51	54	55	42	66
no	38	33	43	67	39	36	26	40	50	49	38	37	29	44	39	36	42	38	40	31	45	28
hard to answer	11	11	12	8	10	13	6	10	21	23	11	10	7	14	13	7	8	11	6	14	13	6

Have you ever been to court? If so, in what capacity? (Multiple responses are possible per card.)

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
defendant	5	5	4	11	9	2	5	7	4	3	5	5	7	4	5	6	10	6	4	5	4	8
claimant	8	8	10	8	6	10	5	11	8	5	7	10	10	8	10	8	10	7	8	9	8	9
accused	3	3	1	7	6	0	3	4	1	2	3	3	1	3	2	3	3	1	3	3	4	3
victim	4	4	4	6	5	4	4	4	5	3	4	6	5	4	4	5	7	4	4	4	4	5
witness	15	15	15	21	18	13	17	18	10	11	16	16	18	17	15	15	13	14	13	19	14	16
other	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	2	1	1	1	0	2	1	1	1	1
never been to court	66	67	66	56	62	70	68	61	72	77	68	63	62	65	67	65	66	72	72	61	68	67
hard to answer	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2	1	0	0	1	0

Russian television regularly shows televised court programs, such as The Federal Judge, Stand for the Court! and Court Hearings. Have you ever seen any of these programs, and if so, which ones? (Multiple responses are possible per card.)

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
never	26	23	32	29	31	21	27	28	21	24	26	23	33	19	21	27	36	32	32	21	23	36
The Federal Judge (hosted by S. Pashin)	50	51	45	48	44	55	46	48	56	58	51	50	40	59	54	46	28	48	37	55	58	35
Court in Session (hosted by B. Tarasov)	46	47	43	42	41	50	43	44	53	54	44	49	37	55	48	45	35	44	38	49	51	36
The Court Hour (hosted by P. Astakhov)	43	44	42	43	42	44	45	45	39	33	44	49	37	40	51	44	39	43	47	46	37	41
Family Affairs (hosted by E. Dmitrieva)	23	23	24	22	19	26	23	22	25	26	22	26	17	20	27	24	19	23	19	24	24	17
others	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
hard to answer	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	1

Do televised court shows help people become more versed in legal matters? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch TV court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
they do	59	64	52	41	53	64	60	59	57	55	59	61	57	61	62	60	47	55	54	62	62	52
they do not	11	9	12	30	13	9	9	10	14	14	12	11	8	16	11	9	15	9	10	11	12	10
hard to answer	4	5	4	0	3	6	4	3	7	8	4	4	3	4	6	3	3	4	4	6	3	2

Do you generally find TV court shows interesting or uninteresting? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
interesting	65	69	56	58	57	72	64	62	69	67	65	67	58	69	68	64	57	60	60	69	67	54
uninteresting	8	7	11	12	10	6	8	8	7	8	7	8	8	11	8	8	6	7	7	8	9	9
hard to answer	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	2	2	1	2	2	1	2	2	1	1	1	1	2	2	1

Are televised court shows based on real or fictitious cases? (Asked of all respondents except those stating they never watch TV court shows, - 74% of the total sample.)

Categories of respondents, %	100	65	23	8	47	53	36	37	27	14	35	33	18	21	28	25	8	12	17	38	25	20
real cases	35	38	29	25	29	41	36	34	36	35	38	35	30	40	37	36	21	27	34	37	41	27
fictitious cases	31	31	32	39	34	30	30	33	31	29	29	35	31	31	33	32	34	36	29	33	28	34
hard to answer	8	8	7	7	7	9	6	6	11	11	7	7	6	10	9	5	9	5	5	9	8	3