Legal Pluralism in Action: Customary Law in the Practice of the Highland Verbal Courts (North Caucasus, 1870–1917)

Aim . To study the phenomenon of Highland verbal courts as a key institution for the legalization and transformation of customary law (adat) in the legal system of the Russian Empire in the North Caucasus. Methodology . The main research method is historical and legal. Analysis of archival materials, legislative acts and pre-revolutionary ethnographic collections was carried out. Results . The authors show that courts that formally applied adat in practice created a hybrid legal reality that is a “judicial custom.” Research implications . A judicial custom is examined as a strategic instrument of imperial governance, ensuring regional integration through the controlled recognition and modification of local legal norms. The focus is on the procedure for adjudication, identifying the mechanisms for selecting adat norms, and analyzing the conflicting interpretations between the imperial administration, traditionalists, and Islamic law (Sharia).