MOSCOW, March 13, 2008 Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents information on what circumstances Russians would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights; whether they think that Russian courts cannot compare to the European one and if so, in what respect.The main source of information that Russians have about the European Court of Human Rights is national TV (49% of respondents mention it), much less often respondents receive data on this court from the national press (13%), broadcasts on local TV (9%), communicating with friends, relatives, acquaintances (7%), local press (5%), the Internet (4%), local radio (2%) or the grapevine (3%). Less than 1% of respondents have to deal with the European Court out of professional necessity or have experience of reference to this court. Every fourth respondent (27%) specifies that he/she is not interested in the information on the European Court, and 11% find it hard to provide an answer to the question as to how they receive information on this institution. A significant part of Russians is not inclined to address the European Court of Human Rights. Only 7% of respondents specify that they would turn to the European Court if their rights have been infringed. Another 20% of respondents think of this as possible. However, every second respondent (51%) completely excludes it, this type of answer is especially characteristic of respondents with incomplete secondary education (72%). Respondents identify that they would take it to the European Court of Human Rights if it were impossible to solve the case in the Russian courts (16%), if the judgement pronounced in the Russian courts were not fair (13 %); respondents specify such situations, as inefficient work of the Russian courts when processing their appeal or acute infringement of the rights (9-10% for each option) a little bit less often. And 3% of respondents consider all the situations mentioned above to be the basis for taking it to the European Court. Nearly half of respondents (46%) find it hard to name circumstances under which they would address the European court. Respondents with incomplete secondary education consider the most valid reason of taking it to the European court to be a case of the unfair judgement pronounced by domestic courts, respondents with a secondary and higher education think it to be impossibility of solving the case in our courts. According to the estimations of respondents, the Russian court cannot compare to the European court on practically all parameters describing judicial activity. First of all, on objectivity during conduct of the proceeding (as 42% of respondents identify, 16% do not agree with them); on the overall performance (42% versus 12%), level of competence of the judges (42% versus 14%), thoroughness in the conduct of each proceeding (41% versus 14%), striving for pronouncing a fair judgement (40% versus 17%), level of corruption (39% versus 12%), etc. Opinions of respondents were divided practically into two halves only on one item, i.e. availability of handling in an appeal: 27% consider,that the Russian courts cannot compare with the European court in this respect, however, 24% believe, that they can. At the same time, 42% to 52% of respondents find it hard to provide an estimation one or other parameters of the courts’ performance. The initiative All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on November 3-4, 2008. 1600 respondents were interviewed each time in 153 population areas of 46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.