Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 65 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0 1 PhD in Law, Lawyer (corresponding author) E-mail: advokat_markin@ukr.net ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0410-1702 ⁠2 International Humanitarian University, Ukraine ⁠E-mail: adamovaanya@gmail.com ⁠ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4411-8484 3 Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine E-mail: yepryntsev8111@gmail.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9790-9565  DOI: https://doi.org/10.30525/2256-0742/2025-11-5-65-73 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS OF ENSURING THE EFFICIENCY OF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS Sergii Markin1, Hanna Adamova2, Pylyp Yepryntsev3 Abstract. It has been determined that under martial law, the state of administrative justice is influenced by a number of factors, including a decrease in the level of public trust in public authorities, a high level of corruption in society and state authorities and local self-government, as well as a number of socio-economic factors that characterise modern Ukrainian reality. Among the social factors, the most significant are the status and vulnerability of the plaintiff (pensioners, veterans, people on low incomes, displaced persons, etc. often require special access conditions to the court), the level of legal awareness (the need to be informed about rights and procedures), regional conditions and the security situation (e.g., the remoteness of courts and military operations), and public trust in the court. The economic factors to be taken into consideration are as follows: the financial ability of the individual to cover the costs of the trial; the availability of state compensation mechanisms (for example, exemption from fees and free legal aid); and the resource provision of the judicial system itself (for example, budget, personnel, technology). The main obstacles to access to administrative courts include several key factors. These are: 1) the amount of court fees, which, in proportion to an individual’s income, may constitute a barrier to exercising the right to judicial protection; 2) the insufficient development of the free legal aid system, which could be addressed through the establishment of legal services under local government bodies that ensure adequate territorial accessibility, particularly for residents of rural areas and small settlements; 3) the existence of informational and educational barriers, highlighting the need to expand public awareness of legal rights and democratic values; and 4) the persistence of physical and infrastructural barriers that hinder access for persons with special needs. The methodological basis of the study is rooted in the principles of statistical analysis, synthesis, scientific generalisation and modelling. Keywords: administrative justice, economic development, social factors, digitalisation, digital tools, martial law, administrative case. JEL Classification: K23, O10, K23 1. Introduction The judicial system, in its entirety and with particular reference to the system of administrative courts, is designed to ensure the effective protection of human rights and freedoms. It is imperative to acknowledge that the efficacy of the right to judicial protection in administrative proceedings is contingent on a multitude of objective and subjective factors. In the context of martial law, the state of administrative proceedings is influenced by a number of factors. These include a decline in public trust in public authorities, pervasive corruption in society and state authorities, and deficiencies in local self-government. Additionally, socio-economic factors that characterise modern Ukrainian reality play a significant role (Zaporozhchenko, 2023; Mishyna, 2025). To address social challenges in Ukraine, a comprehensive judicial reform was launched in 2015 and is still ongoing. The legislative and subordinate regulatory acts of Ukraine that determined the Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 66 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 content of this reform include: Law of Ukraine No. 192-VIII of February 12, 2015 (The Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Right to a Fair Trial", 2015), Law of Ukraine No. 1402-VIII of June 2, 2016 (The Law of Ukraine "On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges", 2016), Decree of the President of Ukraine of May 20, 2015 No. 276/2015 (The Decree of the President of Ukraine "On the Strategy for Reforming the Judiciary, Judicial Proceedings and Related Legal Institutions for 2015–2020", 2015), and Decree of the President of Ukraine of June 11, 2021 No. 231/2021 (The Decree of the President of Ukraine "On the Strategy for the Development of the Justice System and Constitutional Justice for 2021–2023", 2021), the implementation of which is aimed at ensuring an adequate level of human and material resources within the national judicial system, promoting transparency and objectivity in the selection of judges and other public officials, and improving the functioning of the High Council of Justice and the High Qualification Commission of Judges. 1. Literature Review Simultaneously, it is imperative to acknowledge that the efficacy of judicial protection of individual rights and freedoms is influenced not solely by regulatory and legal factors. Additionally, socio-economic factors, the role and significance of which must be given due consideration when conducting a comprehensive study, play a pivotal role in determining the relevance of this scientific development. The issue of ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms in administrative proceedings was studied in monographic and dissertation- level scientific research, such as: monograph by M.A. Boyaryntseva on the topic "Principles of the activity of the administrative court in Ukraine in the aspect of the implementation of European standards of justice" (2019) (Boyaryntseva, 2019), dissertation by M.I. Povoroznyuk on the topic "Administrative lawsuit as a means of realizing citizens' rights to judicial protection in public legal relations" (2019) (Povoroznyuk, 2019), dissertation by Yu. V. Osipov on the topic "Implementation of the right to appeal to an administrative court and methods of its judicial protection" (2023) (Osipov, 2023) and others. However, domestic scientific publications on the right to appeal to an administrative court are quite fragmented in their consideration of socio-economic factors influencing the social phenomenon under study, which highlights the relevance of this scientific development. This article aims to identify the social and economic factors that ensure the effectiveness of administrative proceedings. 2. Characteristics of Social Factors Influencing the Implementation of Administrative Justice in Ukraine A multitude of socio-economic and economic factors exert a considerable influence on an individual's capacity to engage with the judicial system and effectively safeguard their rights. The level of well- being of the population, the financial costs associated with the judicial process, legal awareness, trust in the judiciary, and the systemic conditions for the work of courts (financing, staffing) are all factors that determine the real accessibility of justice. The significance of these factors has been further accentuated in Ukraine within the context of contemporary challenges, particularly the economic crisis and the full-scale war, which have compounded existing issues pertaining to access to the court system. The right to judicial protection is a component of the more general right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Access to court is recognised as an integral element of the right to a fair trial. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has emphasised in its case law that the right to a court, one of the aspects of which is the right of access to a court, is not absolute and may be subject to permissible restrictions (Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (with Protocols) (European Convention on Human Rights, 1950). The state reserves the right to establish procedural requirements (e.g., deadlines for applications, court fees, etc.), yet such restrictions should not impinge upon the fundamental right to a court (Zadyraka, 2023). Furthermore, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine has emphasised in its decisions that the right to judicial protection, as guaranteed by Article 55 of the Constitution of Ukraine, encompasses not only the opportunity to file a claim with a court, but also to exercise this right without unreasonable obstacles (The Constitution of Ukraine, 1996). In other words, the legislation and the activities of the courts must ensure effective access to justice in practice (Drozd, 2021). The establishment of administrative justice in Ukraine was a deliberate measure undertaken for the specific purpose of ensuring the right of individuals to appeal actions or decisions of government bodies. As outlined in paragraph 2 of part two of article 2 of the Ukrainian Administrative Procedure Code, any decisions, actions or inaction on the part of government authorities are subject to appeal to the relevant administrative courts, unless the law stipulates an alternative procedure for judicial proceedings (The Code of Administrative Proceedings of Ukraine, 2005). Consequently, citizens and legal entities are afforded ample opportunities to petition an Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 67 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 administrative court to protect their rights in dealings with the state. Such opportunities include the ability to appeal decisions made by local government bodies, to ensure the protection of social rights (including pensions and benefits) and to challenge tax notices. The remit of administrative courts is to resolve such disputes impartially and within a reasonable timeframe, ensuring a balance between the interests of the individual and public interests. Scholars note that the effectiveness of the right to access the courts depends on high-quality legislation and its practical application by the judiciary (Gerich, 2022: 227–233). The ECHR emphasises that the right to a court will only be effective when a person has a real opportunity to challenge the unlawful actions of the authorities in practice (CASE OF BELLET v. FRANCE, 1994). Consequently, the state is obligated not only to recognise the right to judicial protection, but also to eradicate the excessive formalism inherent in such processes, ensure proper procedures, and educate the population about their rights. This is particularly pertinent in the context of contemporary challenges, such as martial law or a global pandemic, which necessitates the implementation of measures to adapt judicial proceedings to relevant public requests. This can be achieved by introducing an electronic judicial system and creating conditions for the renewal of procedural deadlines that have been missed due to the occupation of the territories of Ukraine, among other measures (Mysnyk, 2024). Social factors encompass a broad spectrum of circumstances in social life that have the capacity to both facilitate and impede a person's access to justice. Key social factors include citizens' awareness of their rights, the level of legal culture, trust in the judicial system, as well as the status and situation of the person (vulnerable population groups, region of residence, health status, etc.). A primary determining factor in this regard is awareness, including legal awareness. People, especially those in vulnerable categories, are often unaware that they can appeal against the actions of the authorities in an administrative court, or they may not understand the procedures. Many cases in administrative courts, for example, concern social rights, particularly pensions, social payments and assistance. Statistics show that disputes of this kind account for a significant proportion of administrative courts' workload. In 2023, the most prevalent category of administrative cases pertained to pension-related claims, with nearly 319 thousand cases concerning pension-related issues. This category constituted a substantial proportion of all administrative cases, accounting for almost 17% of the total number of cases reviewed in administrative proceedings (The number of cases increased almost one and a half times in 2023, 2023). This indicates a growing legal activity among the population. However, it also suggests that socio- economic rights, which should ensure the physical existence of individuals, are constantly violated. This is happening despite measures being taken to minimise corruption risks in the studied area, including through digitalisation (Gerasymenko, 2022). Thus, in particular, in Ukraine, such public information services as the Portal of Electronic Services of the Pension Fund of Ukraine (Portal of Electronic Services of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, 2025), as well as territorial centers of social services (Provision of social services in territorial centers of social services, 2025) are operating quite successfully. However, there is a tendency to maintain the number of administrative lawsuits, where the subject of the appeal is the mechanisms for providing opportunities for the implementation of socio-economic rights of the individual. In such cases, the state is required to create appropriate conditions and guarantees for the exercise of the right to judicial protection. The high level of satisfaction with claims in social cases serves to substantiate the validity of the concerns that individuals raise. According to the Supreme Court, in 2022, 95% of cases in the social sphere were resolved in favour of the plaintiffs (246,067 satisfied claims from this category), which is an increase on the 2021 figure of 92% (Analysis of the State of Administration of Justice by Administrative Courts in 2022, 2023). This indicates that the vast majority of plaintiffs reasonably initiate proceedings and are able to prove in court the facts of the illegality of decisions, actions or inaction of bodies and obtain appropriate judicial protection. Another social factor that has an impact on the implementation of administrative justice is the level of trust in the judiciary and the fear of possible bias. The population's scepticism regarding the efficacy of judicial protection can act as a deterrent to the initiation of proceedings in public administrative disputes, despite the principle of equality of parties as enshrined in the CAP of Ukraine. The principle of equality in public administrative disputes is effectively observed, as evidenced by the share of successful claims in tax disputes in 2022 reaching approximately 83%, and in cases arising from public service relations (disputes between civil servants and their employer) reaching approximately 78% (Analysis of the State of Administration of Justice by Administrative Courts in 2022, 2023). This indicates that the courts satisfied more than three-quarters of such claims, and in tax cases the indicator increased by 4% compared to 2021. Such indicators have been shown to engender a positive perception of the judicial system among citizens, thereby increasing the level of public trust in it. Regional characteristics also exert an influence. Administrative courts are typically situated in regional centres. In the case of district administrative courts, their territorial jurisdiction encompasses the entire region. By contrast, appellate administrative courts exercise Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 68 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 their territorial authority over multiple regions. For residents of remote villages or districts, the geographical distance to the nearest administrative court creates additional difficulties, including the time and financial expenditure involved in travel, and the need to be physically present at hearings. For instance, if the plaintiff resides in a mountainous area or on the periphery of the region, travelling to the regional centre for each court hearing can be burdensome. This issue can be resolved by the development of electronic judicial services. Ukraine is implementing the "Electronic Court" system, which allows claims and other procedural documents to be filed online. During the course of the pandemic and the imposition of martial law, remote judicial proceedings were legalised via video conferencing. According to the Council of Judges of Ukraine's recommendations, courts may hold sessions via video conference and postpone the consideration of cases for security reasons in conditions of danger (The Decision of the High Council of Justice "On Approval of the Regulations on the Functioning of Individual Subsystems of the Unified Judicial Information and Telecommunications System", 2021). The implementation of administrative justice is affected by social factors such as the temporary suspension of the work of many courts in combat zones, followed by their relocation. This issue was resolved by changing the territorial jurisdiction of courts (The Resolution of the Supreme Court "On Changing the Territorial Jurisdiction of Court Cases under Martial Law", 2022; Order on Determining the Territorial Jurisdiction of Cases, 2025). At the same time, the Russian-Ukrainian war and martial law have given rise to new categories of administrative claims. For example, forcibly displaced persons (IDPs) have appealed against the termination of pension payments or social assistance on a large scale. Following the events of February 24, 2022, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) exceeded 4.8 million, with many of them encountering difficulties in receiving their pensions or other scheduled payments (Sagun, 2025). Consequently, the aforementioned categories of persons were compelled to petition the administrative courts to reinstate their rights. The financial and social vulnerability experienced by claimants, including IDP pensioners and individuals who have lost their housing and employment, constitutes a significant social factor impacting the capacity to exercise the right to judicial protection. On the one hand, these individuals are particularly reliant on judicial protection; on the other hand, they face considerable challenges in exercising this right without support, primarily due to financial constraints, a lack of information, and physical limitations. Finally, the social dimension of access to justice encompasses the attitude of the judicial system towards vulnerable groups. The current legislation of Ukraine contains norms on the observance of the rights of persons with disabilities, the provision of interpreter services for persons who do not speak the language of the court proceedings, and the introduction of other guarantees aimed at overcoming manifestations of discrimination based on social or economic status. It is evident that considerable efforts have been made to equip court premises to meet the needs of persons with disabilities and to ensure their accessibility. However, the problems of equipping premises with elevators and special signs for persons with visual impairments remain unresolved. The introduction and provision of mechanisms for the exercise by a person of the right to free legal aid plays a compensatory function, which allows for the overcoming of property differences that may exist between different categories of plaintiffs in public administrative disputes. The concept of "barrier-free" adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine also provides for the elimination of physical and informational barriers to access to justice (for example, equipping court buildings with ramps, adapting information for people with hearing/vision impairments, etc.) (The Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine "On Approval of the Action Plan for 2025-2026 for the Implementation of the National Strategy for the Creation of a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine for the Period until 2030", 2025). The overarching aim of these measures is to ensure that a person's social status (age, property, physical or other vulnerability) does not prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to judicial protection. 3. Economic Factors Influencing the state of Administrative Justice in Ukraine The issue of access to court is often determined by economic factors. The financial implications of legal proceedings represent a significant concern. The direct costs that an individual must face include the following: payment of court fees, payment of legal aid (lawyer services), transportation costs for trips to court, loss of working time, and so forth. In the event that the aggregate costs exceed the financial capacities of an individual, the right to judicial protection becomes more theoretical than real. As the ECHR has observed, excessive financial costs can act as obstacles to access to justice (García Manibardo v. Spain, 1997). In order to comply with the implementation of such European standards, a number of measures are being implemented in Ukraine. Initially, it is imperative to acknowledge the existence of a compensatory mechanism that facilitates the reduction or exemption from paying court fees when filing an application with an administrative court. The amount of the fee is Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 69 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 dependent upon the nature of the claim; non-property claims are charged as a percentage of the subsistence minimum, and property disputes are charged as a percentage of the claim price. For individuals experiencing socioeconomic vulnerability, even a modest fee amounting to a few hundred hryvnia can be a substantial financial burden. The legislation stipulates that specific categories of plaintiffs are exempt from the obligation to pay court fees (Article 5 of the Law of Ukraine "On Court Fees", 2011). The current legislation of Ukraine also provides for a regulatory mechanism for reducing or postponing the payment of the court fee by court decision. According to Part 1 of Article 133 of the CAP of Ukraine, the court, taking into account the property status of the party, has the authority to make a decision that may result in the reduction of court costs, or the exemption of said costs from payment in full or in part, or the postponement of payment in instalments (The Code of Administrative Proceedings, 2005). This is in accordance with the provisions outlined in Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine "On Court Fees". Thus, the legislative framework enables the financial burden of court fees to be mitigated for low-income citizens. However, it is important that citizens are aware of this possibility themselves and do not abandon a lawsuit due to a lack of funds without first trying to obtain an exemption. To overcome the problem of the cost of professional assistance in preparing a claim and representing oneself in court, Ukraine operates a system of free legal aid (FLA). According to the 2011 Law of Ukraine "On Free Legal Aid", low-income individuals and certain categories of citizens have the right to free secondary legal aid, meaning they can receive a lawyer at state expense to represent them in court (The Law of Ukraine "On Free Legal Aid", 2011). The fundamental principle of the free legal aid system is the establishment of equal opportunities for access to justice irrespective of an individual's financial status (Borysenko, 2022). The right to free secondary legal aid is granted to the following categories of individuals: those whose average monthly income does not exceed the established level (low-income); disabled persons with a pension of less than two subsistence minimums; war veterans (including combatants); internally displaced persons; orphans; persons who have suffered from domestic violence; and other categories defined by law. A person can contact a local legal aid centre to receive assistance. They will then be assigned a lawyer or staff lawyer from the centre who will prepare the claim, collect evidence and represent their interests in court. Free legal aid is guaranteed by the state and financed from the budget. This is an important social tool for overcoming economic barriers. In practice, the network of legal aid centres has helped many people to file administrative claims regarding pensions or social benefits, for example, which they would not have been able to prepare effectively themselves. However, limited budget funding for legal aid affects its ability to meet all demands: the state allocates funds, but lawyers receive a low fee for these services, placing a high burden on the system. Nevertheless, the provision of free legal aid continues to be a pivotal element in the contemporary context, enabling low-income claimants to access judicial protection in administrative courts (Borysenko, 2022). In addition to the court fee and the necessity of remunerating the services of a legal practitioner, there are also other surreptitious expenses associated with exercising the right to appeal to an administrative court. Such expenses encompass time-related costs, which result in the forfeiture of income due to attendance at court hearings. This is particularly pertinent for individuals who are employed on an hourly basis or under a civil law contract. In addition to the loss of earnings, unmet property costs encompass transportation expenses and accommodation costs, if the court is situated a considerable distance from the individual's primary place of residence. In some places, a judicial review of an administrative case requires the payment of experts, specialists or translators for their services. Taken together, these costs can become a serious burden. However, some of these costs may be compensated by a court decision in favour of the plaintiff, whereby the losing party is awarded compensation for court costs in proportion to the amount claimed, in accordance with Article 139 of the Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine. However, compensation will only be received at the end of the process, in the future and subject to winning the case, which highlights the financial risks of initiating legal proceedings. Such economic risks could be mitigated by a system of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for public and private law disputes, consisting of pre-trial procedures, mediation and arbitration. However, in disputes with the state, such mechanisms in Ukraine are underdeveloped or ineffective. Financing the judicial system is defined as an economic factor that indirectly impacts the implementation of the right to judicial protection. This has a negative impact on court staffing, leading to shortages of judges and an excessive workload for those who remain, resulting in delays in case consideration. In 2022, the judicial system received only 63.4% of the necessary funds, and in 2023 – only 51.4% of the financing needs (European Commission Report on Ukraine within the EU Enlargement Package, 2023). In fact, the budget only covers half of the costs necessary for the normal functioning of the courts, such as salaries, maintenance of premises and material and technical support. This means that Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 70 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 "savings" are being made at the expense of justice. Vacancies for judges are not being filled due to a lack of funds, buildings are not being repaired and there is a lack of stationery, equipment and proper information protection. For participants in administrative proceedings, this results in longer procedural times for resolving disputes and processing applications, as well as postponements of hearings. Consequently, courts become less accessible. As the Ombudsman notes, the biggest obstacle to reasonable trial terms remains the shortage of judicial staff in district and appellate courts (Annual Report on the Status of Observance and Protection of Human and Civil Rights and Freedoms in Ukraine in 2023, 2023). An economically weak judicial system is unable to provide citizens with timely protection of their rights. To summarise, economic factors in Ukraine have a twofold impact. On the one hand, the state has introduced a number of guarantees to reduce financial barriers: benefits for court fees, the institution of free legal aid, compensation for court costs, and the possibility of remote participation (which saves on travel costs). Conversely, a significant proportion of the population still believes that "going to court is expensive". This is particularly challenging for those who are financially insolvent, unaware of their rights, or unable to access adequate support. Systemic economic problems within the judiciary, such as underfunding, also negatively affect the accessibility of justice for all. In the next section, we will examine statistical data and case studies that illustrate the influence of socio- economic factors in more detail. In order to evaluate the status of the right to judicial protection in administrative proceedings, it is necessary to refer to the statistics of the courts' work. Official data from the State Judicial Administration and the Supreme Court has been used to analyse the dynamics of the receipt and consideration of administrative cases, as well as the results of their consideration. This analysis has allowed for the identification of certain trends. In 2021, local and appellate administrative courts of Ukraine received approximately 702.2 thousand administrative cases (Review of data on the state of the administration of justice in 2022, 2022). In 2022, coinciding with the onset of a full-scale war, there was a marked decline in the number of new cases, with the figure standing at 483.8 thousand, representing a 31% decrease compared to the previous year. This decline can be attributed to a number of factors, including the commencement of a full-scale invasion, the occupation of territory, and internal and external migration of the population. According to official statistics, as of the end of 2022, 22% of courts in Ukraine were not administering justice (territorial jurisdiction changed) due to military operations (Review of data on the state of administration of justice in 2022, 2022), which evidently affected the productivity and efficiency of considering administrative claims. Local administrative courts in 2022 considered 416,500 cases on the merits, representing a 9.3% decrease compared to the 459,300 cases processed in the previous year. Administrative courts of appeal considered 99,700 cases, which is 24.9% less than the previous year (Review of data on the state of administration of justice in 2022, 2022). However, as of 2023, there has been a notable resurgence in the number of appeals being made to the court. According to the State Judicial Administration, the number of new cases initiated in courts increased by nearly 46% compared to 2022, reaching over 2.1 million cases across all jurisdictions (The number of cases is impressive, 2024). The most significant growth was observed in administrative and civil cases, with administrative cases increasing by 41% compared to 2022. The Supreme Court has reported that local courts received 3.8 million cases of all categories in 2023 alone, representing a 55% increase on the 2022 figure and almost one and a half times more court cases than in 2024. This increase has been associated with a forced decline in the productivity of courts in 2022. For administrative courts, it can be estimated that if there were approximately 484 thousand new administrative cases in 2022, then there was a 41% increase in claims in 2023, giving an estimated 680-700 thousand cases. The largest share of these cases is social disputes, particularly those related to a person's right to pension provision. There was also significant growth in the category of tax and customs disputes. An interesting indicator of the growing legal activity of Ukrainian citizens is the number of visits to the justice system. This reached a record high of 7.42 million in 2024 (Table 1) (Khripun, 2025). Table 1 Indicators of visits to justice system bodies in Ukraine Period of visits to justice system bodies by the population of Ukraine Number of people per year 2020 5 million 640 thousand people 2021 8 million 930 thousand people 2022 5 million 440 thousand people 2023 7 million 040 thousand people 2024 7 million 420 thousand people 4. Conclusions The analysis of social and economic factors enables the identification of the main barriers that hinder the full exercise of the right to judicial protection in administrative proceedings. Simultaneously, an appreciation of the nature of these barriers also suggests potential regulatory and organisational solutions for their surmounting. Baltic Journal of Economic Studies 71 Vol. 11 No. 5, 2025 The main obstacles to access to administrative courts include: excessively high court fees which, in proportion to an individual’s income, may constitute a barrier to the exercise of the right to judicial protection; the need for further development of the system of free legal aid, which could be addressed by establishing mechanisms for providing such assistance through legal services of local self-government bodies that ensure adequate territorial accessibility for residents of rural areas and small settlements; overcoming informational and educational barriers, which requires continued efforts to disseminate legal knowledge and promote social and democratic values; removing physical barriers and other obstacles for persons with special needs, which may be achieved through the further digitalisation of administrative proceedings and by expanding the practice of remote reception offices of administrative courts in remote areas or introducing remote court hearings; and, finally, addressing systemic barriers such as delays in proceedings and court overloads, which necessitate resolving issues of judicial staffing and improving the financing of the judiciary system. The reduction of costs associated with the implementation of administrative proceedings is also dependent upon the digitalisation of processes, and the introduction of effective digital tools such as electronic document management systems, automatic case distribution, and electronic queues. These tools have the capacity to increase the productivity of judges and staff. At the same time, it is necessary to expand the scope of simplified judicial proceedings in administrative cases where this can be done without prejudicing the rights of the parties. This requires overcoming psychological and socio-cultural barriers by taking measures to increase trust in the judiciary, such as guaranteeing transparency and accountability in its activities. Disciplinary action against dishonest judges plays an important role in this process. Therefore, it is important to overcome the above barriers through a range of actions, including legislative changes (such as clarifying the norms on court fees and accelerating procedures), institutional reforms (such as strengthening the human resources of courts and improving their financing), educational campaigns, and technical innovations. In Ukraine, the necessary legal conditions have been established to overcome socio-economic barriers. Legislation provides benefits for vulnerable plaintiffs, a system of free legal aid has been implemented, and electronic judicial services are being introduced. The Constitutional Court emphasises that the right to judicial protection must be exercised without obstacles, and the ECHR emphasises the need for a real, not an illusory, opportunity to apply to the court. These principles are gradually being put into practice. In particular, the war has acted as a catalyst for improving access to justice. The judiciary has learned to change jurisdiction quickly, work remotely and simplify formalities in order to preserve people's right to a court, even in crisis conditions. In conclusion, it can be said that social and economic factors constantly impact the exercise of the right to judicial protection in administrative proceedings. The distinction between a right that is effective in practice and one that remains merely a declared norm is determined by the question of whether the right in question has a positive or negative effect. The Ukrainian experience demonstrates significant successes in ensuring access to administrative justice (especially for socially vulnerable persons who massively defend their rights and mostly successfully), but also highlights the "bottlenecks" of the system that need to be worked on. In the context of European integration and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, the priority should be to remove barriers to justice, ensuring that every citizen, regardless of their social status or financial situation, can effectively exercise their right to judicial protection – a fundamental principle of the rule of law. This requires material support for the judicial system and care for the most vulnerable members of society, for whom the court is often the only hope of achieving justice. Therefore, ensuring real accessibility to administrative justice is a shared responsibility of the state and society on the path to achieving a just legal order and the rule of law in Ukraine. References: Almost one and a half times more cases in 2023. Opendatabot. March 15, 2024. Available at: https://opendatabot.ua/analytics/court-2023 Analysis of the state of administration of justice by administrative courts in 2022. Supreme Court. 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