Senators preliminary approved the appointment of Irina Podnosova as head of the Supreme Court

The Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building on Tuesday supported the candidacy of the head of the economic collegium of the Supreme Court (SC) Irina Podnosova, whom the president nominated for appointment to the post of chairman of the Supreme Court, which became vacant after the death of Vyacheslav Lebedev. Before issuing a recommendation to the judge with 34 years of experience, senators discussed with the future head of the judicial system the possibility of returning the death penalty, issues of combating corruption and the prospects for further humanization of criminal legislation.

Irina Podnosova was introduced to the senators by the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Federation Council, Artur Muravyov. After this, the chairman of the committee, Andrei Klishas, ​​gave the floor to Mrs. Podnosova herself, who immediately admitted that April 16 is a very exciting day for her, since exactly 34 years ago her judicial career began. “On April 16, 1990, I was appointed… not appointed – elected,” she corrected herself, “as a judge of the Luga Court of the Leningrad Region, took the oath of judge, which I carry out to this day.”

Irina Podnosova graduated from the law department of Leningrad University in 1975, like Russian President Vladimir Putin. She worked at the Luga City Court for 13 years as a judge and another 10 years as chairman. In 2013, she was appointed deputy chairman of the Leningrad Regional Court, and already in 2017 she headed it. “Then a law was passed on the creation of a new system of appeal and cassation courts, and Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev entrusted me with the creation of the Second Court of Appeal, which is located in St. Petersburg,” recalled Mrs. Podnosova. “In 2019, these courts began work, and in 2020 year, Vyacheslav Mikhailovich invited me to go to work in the Supreme Court, to the position of deputy chairman for economic disputes. And so it happened that now I ask for your support in my appointment as chairman of the Supreme Court…” She also noted that in the first 30 years of her career she considered criminal cases, but after her appointment to the court of appeal she had to delve into administrative and civil disputes, and in the last For three years, Mrs. Podnosova immersed herself in economic affairs and found that this was also a very interesting area.

“The biography is very convincing,” admitted Andrei Klishas. But does the future chairman plan to continue the course taken by the Supreme Court under Vyacheslav Lebedev towards the humanization of criminal justice, the head of the committee was worried.

“The humanization of criminal legislation has always been supported by the law enforcement practice of the Armed Forces,” Irina Podnosova reassured him. In addition, humanism is a principle that is enshrined in the Criminal Code along with other principles, and, of course, the Supreme Court will continue to work in this direction, she assured.

“But sometimes it seems to us that not everything is in order in this area as before,” Mr. Klishas did not back down. He recalled that the Federation Council actively participated in the discussion of issues of detention of accused and suspects, but the results of this work are not as obvious as we would like. “I understand what we are talking about – about persons who are accused of economic crimes,” Ms. Podnosova responded. Vyacheslav Lebedev often referred to the reduction in the total number of prisoners over the past 20 years, it was found: “Almost twice: from a million, in my opinion, to four hundred thousand, something like that.”

Senator Nikolai Vladimirov was interested in the practice of considering cases of administrative violations. Since 2002, when the Code of Administrative Offenses was adopted, it has undergone more than 500 revisions, the judge recalled in response: “And, of course, the task was to quickly and timely correct all these changes by judicial practice. I think we succeeded, we did it and will do it, but we are, of course, waiting for new codes.”

“Quite recently, at a meeting of the State Duma, almost all faction leaders expressed the idea of ​​​​reinstating the death penalty,” recalled Senator Lyudmila Narusova, in turn. “How do you feel about this?” “Oh…” Irina Podnosova sincerely sighed, admitting that she would not express her personal opinion here (although it coincides with the opinion of Vyacheslav Lebedev, she clarified just in case). “I think that this is a matter of changing the Constitution, and these are your powers. As the issue is resolved, we will carry it out,” the referee returned the ball to the senators’ side. “The most important thing is that we have the same assessment from the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, who speaks of the impossibility of this under the current Constitution,” rejoiced Andrei Klishas. “You will agree, this is the answer to the question, Irina Leonidovna gave it!..”

Finally, the committee chairman admitted, there is one more question that he cannot help but ask: does the future chairman of the Supreme Court believe that existing measures to prevent conflicts of interest are sufficient? This was probably the most difficult question for Irina Podnosova – and not only because the judicial community has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the strict restrictions that are now imposed on the relatives of judicial candidates (in fact, we are talking about a ban on work in the legal profession, if it even involves indirect participation in trials).

The point is also that the son of Mrs. Podnosova, who until recently worked in the St. Petersburg law firm Prombusinessconsulting, had to leave the legal profession.

“If before he was engaged in criminal practice, I was in economic affairs, we never crossed paths, and we simply did not have a conflict of interests, then, of course, in the current situation, any participation of my son in the processes will already be a conflict. And thanks to him for his decision to terminate his status as a lawyer,” said the candidate for the head of the Armed Forces, making it clear that the existing mechanisms make it possible to avoid even a potential conflict of interest. Sometimes it even seems that such requirements are unnecessary, Andrei Klishas suddenly admitted and promised that legislators will return to this issue. “Well, let’s play it safe,” Mrs. Podnosova concluded diplomatically.

The following also spoke out in support of her candidacy. O. Chairman of the Supreme Court Pyotr Serkov, head of the Council of Judges Viktor Momotov and chairman of the High Qualification Board of Judges Nikolai Timoshin. The Federation Council will consider the issue of appointing Irina Podnosova to the post of Chairman of the Supreme Council at a plenary meeting on Wednesday, April 17.

Anastasia Kornya