In preparing this research paper, the author studied and analyzed the most pressing issues in the development of domestic military criminal legislation in the second quarter of the 19th century. Although the time period under consideration was quite short, a number of key legislative decisions were made in the Russian Empire during this period, both in general and in military criminal law in particular. The study concluded that, throughout the evolution of the Russian Empire during this period, state authorities paid attention to the importance of improving military criminal law. Moreover, the state primarily emphasized the need to develop legislative provisions related to the application of penalties against military personnel, as well as to improve the forms and methods for imposing various types of punishment on them. State needs, reflected in the authorities' desire to establish proper law and order in the army, were the primary drivers for the implementation of a highly stringent military criminal strategy, which was pursued throughout the second quarter of the 19th century. Studying the important problematic aspects identified in this paper will allow for a more detailed assessment of the mechanisms of military criminal legislation during the period under review.