The article is devoted to the analysis of the value of motivation of court decisions in the criminal process. The author concludes that motivation largely determines the quality of the judicial decision, makes it understandable for society, promotes the transparency of justice; motivation in making decisions is an indispensable condition for a fair trial and, in the end, contributes to a respectful attitude to the authority of the judiciary. The decision on a particular case should presuppose a logically and structurally verified act containing a full analysis of the legal positions of the parties and an assessment of evidence. A motivated judicial act is considered by the author as one of the constituent parts of the standard of justice. In support of the arguments, the author analyzed a number of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The trial should make the convict a better person, and this goal should be achieved through a reasoned presentation of the position occupied by the court in a particular criminal case, as well as by the general prevention of offenses. In addition, qualitatively motivated judicial acts contribute to the formation of legal certainty and, in particular, to the uniformity of the practice of the legal norm.