The article examines topical issues related to defining the content of public interest, the limits of its implementation and protection in the practice of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation when resolving conflicts between public and private interests. Using methods of analysis, induction, and deduction, the author establishes that there is no clear, universally accepted definition of public interest, an established understanding of the content of this legal category, which is also evident in the practice of applying the category of public interest when resolving conflicts between public and private interests. As a result of the study, the author concludes that it is necessary to clearly define the content and boundaries of the exercise of public interests, which are given priority when they conflict with private interests.