The Dynamics of the Legal System of the Russian Federation in the Context of Digitalization: Theoretical Aspects

Digitalization represents new tools and technologies, marking the transition from paper-based to electronic media. Some aspects of digitalization are less apparent because these processes often occur unnoticed. In turn, other processes are more pronounced, significantly transforming our lives. In the judiciary, a shift is taking place from paper-based documentation to electronic records. Digital evidence is now recognized in court – communications in social networks, messengers, emails, digital photographs, ATM transaction logs, and web browser histories are all admissible, provided they are certified by a notary. The judicial process is undergoing modernization, with digital audio recordings of court protocols becoming standard and video conferencing systems enabling citizens living far from the courthouse to participate remotely in court sessions. In today’s digital environment, society is experiencing a profound reevaluation of traditional forms of human existence. The scientific community is increasingly studying the phenomenon of societal virtualization, analyzing its positive aspects and potential threats. Revolutionary changes affect the technological and domestic sectors and transform individual thinking, shaping a fundamentally new digital culture. Today’s reality is characterized by the deep penetration of digital technologies into all aspects of human life, signaling a transition to the next stage of the information age. Various approaches exist within social science to understand the digitalization of society, reflecting the absence of a unified scientific interpretation of this phenomenon. The revolutionary shift from analog to digital data processing, which occurred in the 1970s, radically altered the technological landscape and introduced the term digitalization into common usage. The computer era that began during this period laid the foundation for large-scale transformations in the ways information is processed, though the precise definition of the term remains a subject of ongoing academic debate.