Scholarly debates persist regarding the effectiveness of the 1864 judicial reform in the Russian Empire, particularly in its peripheral regions. The reform’s role in fostering legal culture, resolving conflicts within state courts based on codified law, and adherence to judicial procedures is contested. There is ongoing discussion about whether the reform led to the alienation of ethnic and social elites and broader populations from imperial justice or whether it facilitated the active adoption of new legal institutions. This article posits that the post-reform period was characterized by processes of mutual adaptation between the diverse imperial communities (social, ethnic, confessional, and local) and the reformed judicial system. On the empire’s frontiers, the institution of honorary justices of the peace played a crucial role in these processes. The article examines this institution as a significant channel for the involvement of elite representatives from regional and local communities in post-reform justice. Previous historiography has mainly concentrated on the role of honorary justices of the peace in the central provinces, often adopting a skeptical view. However, by expanding the geographical scope and source base of the research, this study concludes that honorary justices of the peace in the borderlands were in demand and generally exhibited a relatively high level of activity. They contributed to the regional and local contextualization of the new courts, brought a thorough understanding of local realities to imperial justice, and ensured the consideration of regional and local legal norms. Overall, this was a significant and relatively successful experience in implementing a state-society model of justice.