The article is devoted to defining the role of the judiciary in a modern state. Most states in their constitutions proclaim the principle of separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. These principles are interconnected with other democratic principles of the rule of law. Purpose: theoretical and legal description of the role of the judiciary in modern society and the state. The article uses the following methods: formal legal, logical, functional, comparative legal. Results: In modern society, the judiciary is an independent arbiter in resolving social conflicts. The guarantees of independence of the judiciary provided by law must be strictly ensured by the state. 

In this article, the author proceeds from the thesis that monitoring in order to ensure the environmental safety of hydroelectric power plants is necessary not only to control the sources of environmental impact, prompt assessment of the technical condition of hydroelectric power plants, but also to continuously assess the environmental risks arising during the operation of hydroelectric power plants, quality control components of the natural environment, ecological systems, which are, in one way or another, affected by the hydropower facility. The regulatory and technical documents on the basis of which the legal support for the functioning of monitoring systems for the environmental safety of hydropower facilities are carried out are analyzed. The conclusion is argued that it is important to assess the direct and indirect impact of hydroelectric power plants on the components of the natural environment, living conditions of the population and on the ecological system as a whole during operation; to monitor the environmental safety of hydroelectric power plants, an additional system of indicators of such impact is necessary.

the article is devoted to the study of the situation with the aridization of the territories of the South of Russia, belonging to the Caspian Sea basin. Arid lands are territories with an arid climate and a lack of water resources necessary for the implementation of productive activities within the framework of the agro-industrial complex (AIC). The factor of land aridity is one of the key negative factors for economically efficient crop production and the development of a forage base in the structure of animal husbandry. The main characteristic of these lands is the insufficient level of irrigation and moisture supply due to the lack of internal water and precipitation. In this regard, for the successful development of the agro-industrial complex through the use of these territories, it is necessary to search for and identify comprehensive measures and methods aimed at preserving natural production qualities through the optimal combination of environmental and economic components in the organization of regulation of the humidification and water supply system. This development of a balanced set of measures of an economic and environmental nature is aimed at preventing a further increase in the level of aridity and desertification of agricultural lands.

The article examines the international legal status of the Caspian Sea, analyzes the provisions of the current acts of international law concluded by Russia and other Caspian states. The article examines the provisions of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea in 2018, trends and prospects for the development of Russian environmental and natural resource legislation. A number of constructive proposals are made for the further development of international cooperation of the Caspian States, including the creation of an intergovernmental coordinating body, and its powers are proposed for discussion. Attention is drawn to the fact that international acts aimed at regulating the use and protection of the natural resources of the Caspian Sea do not mention as a goal the joint movement of the Caspian states towards the transition to the standards of the “green” economy, and the tasks of ensuring sustainable development are formulated formally. The expediency of developing model laws for the Caspian states is substantiated, which will consolidate their efforts to protect the nature of the Caspian Sea.

The article discusses the problems of improving the methodology of teaching legal disciplines using modern digital technologies, the formation of a digital educational environment, improving the training of lawyers at the university in the light of new requirements of state educational standards of higher education, which is an integral part of the educational process. It is noted that science is moving to a new level of creating a digital educational environment in which advanced technologies are used to conduct lectures, seminars, practical classes remotely, as well as forms of organizing independent work of students are being created. Educational technologies and their characteristics are considered within the framework of legal disciplines, in comparison with the educational standard of Russia and Kazakhstan. The authors consider the ability to teach in an online format as the main condition for the use of information and educational technologies and Internet resources, professional knowledge of educational technologies aimed at accelerated submission of material, contributing to the effective acquisition of knowledge using electronic resources. The expediency of using such innovative educational technologies to increase the cognitive activity of future lawyers is reflected.

In connection with the active development of the financial services sector, an appropriate transparent and competitive market for such services should be created. Meanwhile, the concept of «financial service» has not received a proper definition in the scientific literature. The article presents various approaches to the definition of this concept.