ON SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THe RESOLUTION OF the RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT PLENUM "ON APPLICATION of LEGISLATION On THE RIGHT of DEFENSE"
Background. Ensuring the right of defense of criminal case participants, primarily a suspect, an accused, a defendant, is considered to be one of the traditional problems of the Russian criminal procedure. One of the attempts to tackle the problem was made on 30th June 2015 in the Resolution No. 29 of Russian Supreme Court. The resolution comments on some entries of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code regulating the role of defense counsels and other application issues of the right of defense. Materials and methods. The article presents an analysis of the Resolution No. 29 of the Russian Supreme Court Plenum from 30th June 2015 “On application of legislation of the right of defense”, the Resolution of the Russian Chamber of Legal Counsels from 27th September 2013 “On appointing backup legal counsels”, relevant entries of the Russian Criminal Procedure Code. Results. The study shows that the Resolution of the Russian Supreme Court Plenum have not officially legalized the notion “abuse of the right of defense” as well as participation of backup legal counsels in criminal trials. This ambiguity gives an opportunity for judges to continue engaging the so-called “pocket legal counsels”. The study also reveals the differences of opinions of the leading experts on the issue of backup legal counsels. Conclusions. Further development of the right of defense in Russia seems to be in the dialogue between the court, the legislator, legal counsels. One of the efficient ways to stop engagement of “pocket legal counsels” may be prohibition in the form of an amendment to the Russian Criminal Procedure Code. There should also be a legislatively fixed opportunity to choose court-appointed legal counsels by defendants.