The Russian judicial system is highly sophisticated, but despite advances in reforming the legal and judicial system, obstacles to the establishment of an independent judicial branch remain. Notwithstanding guarantees and safeguards in the Constitution, law and the judicial Code of Conduct, a number of factors work to undermine the independence of the judiciary in the Russian Federation, including among other things: a lack of understanding of judicial independence by judges and the fact that they remain prone to undue influence from actors outside the judiciary; the appointment and promotion process, which does not adequately safeguard against appointment or promotion for improper motives or ensure high standards; the implementation of the disciplinary system; and the administration of the courts and the excessive powers of the court presidents therein.
This profile is at the moment limited to the introduction and the section on judges. The other sections will be made available as the ICJ concludes its research on those sectors of the judicial system.
You can access the different interactive sections of this profile through the column on the right-hand side, or you can download the profile in PDF format.
