“Right to Know”: what displeases the Russian Bar

What does an advocate need in order to practice successfully besides the thorough knowledge of the laws? And to what extent are the professional and social rights of the protectors themselves are protected nowadays in Russia?

Yury Pilipenko, Managing Partner of the Law Firm "YUST", First Vice President of the Federal Chamber of Advocates of Russia, the guest of the “Right to Know” program by Vitaly Ushkanov, states that the Russian Bar is currently is an ambiguous situation: “From one side, it is stable enough. From the other side, there are problems that keep worrying us, and we would like it if the State paid more attention to solving those”.

Y.Pilipenko mentions the remuneration of the appointed defense attorneys as one of the problems. The guest of the program explains: “According to the criminal procedural law, such attorney is sate-appointed, and the State must pay for the job”. He says that, until recently, such attorneys received 298 roubles for one court day, which has recently been increased to 550 roubles only.

“And this is beggar’s wage, really, because in the civilized countries, by which we mean European countries and the USA, and which we strive to belong to, the appointed attorneys receive hourly rates at an average of 100 euros or dollars,” – First Vice President of the FCA ascertains.

Y.Pilipenko adds: “Of course, most advocates are unhappy with such situation, and one should keep in mind that rich and well-earning lawyers only live in Moscow or large industrial cities. There are courts in the interior of the country, where advocates are needed, and many defense attorneys have no other way to earn their living but to take up appointments”.

According to his information, at least 70% of the Russian advocates are in such situation now.

Reference. The series of programs by Vitaly Ushkanov “Right to Know” was launched at the website of the Russian agency of legal and judicial information in April of 2010. Vyacheslav Lebedev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, was the first guest of the program.

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