R 020800Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2832
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 
AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG

UNCLAS ST PETERSBURG 000115 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: RS PGOV
SUBJECT: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHIEF JUSTICE ZORKIN:  INDEPENDENT 
JUDICIARY KEY TO RUSSIA'S DEVELOPMENT 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Not for Internet Distribution. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  In a cordial and surprisingly open 
conversation with Ambassador and Consul General August 27, 
Valery Zorkin, Chairman of the Russian Constitutional Court, 
underscored the importance of strengthening judicial 
independence and the rule of law in Russia, welcomed the 
possibility of judicial cooperation with the U.S., seemed 
resigned to the new system for selecting the Court's Chairman, 
and mused on the Constitutional Court's "exile" to St. 
Petersburg.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Zorkin pointed with some pride to the progress achieved 
since 1991 in establishing the Constitutional Court and 
strengthening its independence, noting that the fact that Russia 
has a functioning Constitutional Court only 19 years after the 
fall of Communism is an achievement in itself.  He cited 
then-President Yeltsin's actions in 1993 as the sole instance of 
executive interference in the Constitutional Court's work since 
its inception.  He quickly added that more remains to be done to 
increase judicial independence throughout Russia's court system, 
but felt the country was moving in the right direction toward 
greater respect for rule of law. 
 
¶3. (SBU) To that end, Zorkin welcomed cooperation with American 
counterparts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, to help develop 
the Russian court system.  He said that his court already works 
closely with several international organizations and that he is 
a member of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, a 
forum he considers useful for exchanging opinions and ideas. 
The Russian Constitutional Court has a department dedicated to 
studying the practices of other, mostly European, court systems 
to help inform how the Russian court operates and increase its 
efficiency.  The Russian Constitutional Court also organizes 
international conferences on the rule of law and works with the 
U.S. Bar Association.  Internships in the U.S. for Russian 
judges would be particularly useful and welcome, he added, to 
provide exposure to and develop knowledge of the U.S. system of 
jurisprudence.  Ambassador Beyrle cited the many years of U.S. 
support for Russian efforts to strengthen the judiciary, 
including USAID and DOJ programs.  He briefly described the new 
U.S.-Russia Foundation and its goals; Zorkin reacted favorably, 
especially when told that former Ambassador Collins, whom he 
said he holds in high regard, co-chaired the USRF Board.  Zorkin 
welcomed Ambassador Beyrle's offer to consult with USAID and 
USRF and follow up with a letter detailing specific programs 
that might be helpful to the Constitutional Court. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Zorkin said that the Constitutional Court receives 
about 18,000 complaints per year, and the number of complaints 
is growing.  His court accepts and rules on 300-350 cases 
involving Constitutional issues.  He noted that the number of 
Russian complaints to the European Court of Justice also has 
grown, with Russian cases constituting 28,000 of the total 
100,000 cases received in Strasbourg.  He welcomes criticism, he 
said, and willingly admitted that his court sometimes makes 
mistakes, but added that not a single decision of his Court has 
been appealed to Strasbourg.  Zorkin said that the Russian 
constitution is based on international norms, and that in many 
rulings his Court applies not only accepted international 
standards but also the legal precedents that have already been 
set in other countries.  Social issues constitute a majority of 
the cases the Russian Constitutional Court reviews.  Those 
issues put the Court in a difficult position, as it must balance 
the limits of what the government can do against the ideal of 
social justice.  Zorkin says his Court often rules in favor of 
the people against the government, which makes for some 
animosity between his Court and the Ministry of Finance.  But, 
Zorkin said with a smile, his Court's budget is protected and 
the Ministry of Finance cannot reduce it. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Speaking more broadly, Zorkin said he did not know how 
the Russian legal system would develop, as the fight against 
separatism and corruption could lead either to the strengthening 
of the rule of law or towards general lawlessness.  Trailing off 
at the end of his thought, he speculated that roughly 15% of the 
Russian population has "conservative" views, another 15% - 20% 
solidly have "democratic" views, and the remainder is somewhere 
in-between.  Zorkin believes the future of the Russian court 
system depends on many factors, including international 
cooperation 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In responding to the Ambassador's question, Zorkin put 
the best face possible on the new process of selecting the 
Chairman of the Constitutional Court.  No longer will the 
justices choose the Chairman from among their number.  Zorkin 
said that the new system, under which the Federation Council 
must approve the President's nominee, would encourage a greater 
separation of power.  Zorkin said that the new process will be 
collaborative, since the nomination will be subject to review by 
the Federation Council.  He pointed out how the Federation 
Council has the authority, and exercised it under Yeltsin, to 
reject nominees recommended by the President.  What is 
ultimately important, he concluded, is the spirit of the court, 
not the specific procedures by which it is constituted. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On the Court's move from Moscow to St. Petersburg 
(note:  which he initially opposed publicly), Zorkin commented 
that the move should not be seen as "exile" from the country's 
center of power.  He emphasized that the move had been President 
Putin's personal initiative, and that initially the plan called 
for all three of the highest courts in Russia (the 
Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Arbitration 
Court) to move to St. Petersburg.  He said that the move of the 
other two courts had been postponed due to the global economic 
crisis, and if the crisis had begun earlier, the Constitutional 
Court would likely still be in Moscow as well.  He noted that 
many of his fellow justices on the Constitutional Court were 
very unhappy with the move, but largely had adjusted to their 
new city and setting (note:  the Constitutional Court occupies, 
with the Yeltsin Library, the 19th century neoclassical Senate 
and Synod building). 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Nonetheless, Zorkin said he was pleased to be in St. 
Petersburg and felt that separation from the hurly-burly of 
Moscow provided a quieter atmosphere, which facilitated the 
court's deliberations.  As part of the move to St. Petersburg, 
the Court also had moved its records and work into the 
electronic age.  Zorkin proudly explained that this step had 
made the Constitutional Court the most transparent of all 
Russian courts and greatly reduced its paperwork.  Zorkin said 
that the continuing relevance of his court is illustrated by the 
fact that several key government agencies and bodies have sent 
representatives who sit as observers during the Court's 
sessions.  Already, there are representatives of the President's 
office, the Federation Council, and the Prime Minister's office. 
The Prosecutor General and the Human Rights Ombudsman also want 
to have representatives included in the near future. 
Separately, a Court staffer explained that the general public 
can request admittance to the Court's sessions.  The staffer 
also explained that journalists can monitor the proceedings from 
a closed-circuit video system in the ante rooms, although 
journalists are not admitted to the Court's chambers during 
hearings. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Comment:  Zorkin was surprisingly candid in his 
assessment of the progress made and continuing shortcomings of 
the Russian judicial system.  His interest in increasing 
judicial cooperation with the U.S. and with his counterparts was 
clearly genuine.  The Ambassador will follow up with a letter as 
described in para 3 after consulting with USAID, DOJ and the 
USRF.  End comment. 
 
 
GWALTNEY