Irina Podnosova was recommended for the post of head of the Supreme Court without any questions asked

The High Qualification Board of Judges (HQJC) on Monday recommended the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation – head of the Economic Collegium Irina Podnosova for the post of Chairman of the Supreme Court. There were practically no questions for her – she was only asked to tell in more detail about the results of her work in her current position. The decision was made unanimously, said the chairman of the board, Nikolai Timoshin, and wished the candidate success.

Irina Podnosova became the only contender for the position vacated after the death of the Chairman of the Supreme Council Vyacheslav Lebedev. Introducing the candidate, the head of the Supreme Court of Justice Nikolai Timoshin noted her almost half a century of experience in the field of jurisprudence, of which Ms. Podnosova worked as a judge for more than 33 years. The potential successor to Mr. Lebedev began her career as a judge of the Luga City Court in the Leningrad Region, then became its chairman, in 2017 she headed the Leningrad Regional Court, then the Second Appeal Court, and in August 2020 she was appointed chairman of the Supreme Court Collegium for Economic Disputes.

Irina Podnosova managed the activities of the board at a high professional level, the speaker assured those present.

Thus, from August 2020 to February 2024, she personally reviewed 11,731 complaints about the refusal to transfer a cassation appeal for consideration by a judicial panel, 1,067 actual cassation complaints and 1,241 appeals by way of supervision. 40 rulings were made to transfer complaints for consideration by a judicial panel. Finally, under the leadership of Ms. Podnosova, 13 resolutions of the plenum of the Supreme Court and 17 thematic reviews of the practice of the Supreme Court were prepared.

Also, in the description given at the place of work, it is noted that the candidate is working to increase the authority of the Russian judiciary: she has repeatedly taken part in international legal forums, has been awarded departmental and state awards (including the Order of Honor), and enjoys well-deserved authority among judges of the Supreme Court and bodies of the judicial community.

Irina Podnosova’s husband is a military pensioner and works as a deputy for general affairs of the head physician of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Zhemchuzhina” (located in the Luga district of the Leningrad region). The son works in the St. Petersburg law office “Prombusinessconsulting” and has not participated in court cases. The candidate’s relatives did not take part in the trials, including those in the Supreme Court. Irina Podnosova herself also did not consider cases involving relatives or organizations in which they work, the speaker said.

The presence of a relative working in the legal profession for a future judge is traditionally viewed as a source of potential conflict of interest. For example, the former deputy chairman of the Supreme Court and head of the board for civil cases, Vasily Nechaev, at one time could not receive a recommendation from the Supreme Court for reappointment until his daughter, who worked as a judge of the Arbitration Court of the Moscow Region, resigned. However, even after this, the president never nominated him for appointment, and Mr. Nechaev simply withdrew his candidacy.

On the website of the law firm “Prombiznekonsulting” (its main specialization is designated as “protection of owners and managers of Russian and international businesses in the context of criminal prosecution”), Egor Podnosov is presented as managing partner and head of the Moscow office.

However, the members of the Higher Qualification Committee did not have any questions for the relatives of the potential chairman of the Supreme Council; the candidate was only asked to talk about the results of his work as head of the economic board.

Irina Podnosova named the most important in her work two bills prepared by the Supreme Court, including a draft reform of bankruptcy legislation (adopted in the first reading), 13 resolutions of the plenum (the number is small, but a lot of work was done, she noted), as well as reviews of judicial practice , which includes more than 200 examples from the activities of the board she heads. “Well, everyday work is working with complaints, this is the work of each deputy chairman of the Supreme Court personally,” the candidate added.

The candidacy of Ms. Podnosova was also supported by the Supreme Court and the Council of Judges. “I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the candidate worked as a judge for many years, that is, she professionally knows this side of the matter. She has an excellent education – Faculty of Law of Leningrad State University. Secondly, she has extensive experience in organizational work,” emphasized Viktor Momotov, Chairman of the Council of Judges. In addition, he added, the candidate can firmly defend his position, is not afraid of being in the minority and can justify his position with arguments. “In my opinion, these are the most important qualities for a leader of this rank,” concluded Mr. Momotov.

Apparently, the other members of the VKKS were of the same opinion, so they did not need much time to discuss. The decision was made unanimously, Nikolai Timoshin said following the meeting. “It remains to wish you success,” he added, turning to Irina Podnosova.

After receiving a recommendation from the Supreme Court of Justice, a decision regarding the candidate must be made by the presidential commission for preliminary consideration of issues of appointment of judges. If it is positive, the head of state will submit a proposal on the appointment of a new chairman of the Supreme Council for consideration by the Federation Council.

Anastasia Kornya