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China Elevator Stories
"I soon realized that judges are only human and not always neutral, and neither is the court system"
I chat with a woman who used to be a lawyer in Russia.
17/10/2024
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
I chat with Alina, a woman originally from Russia who has been living in Austria for many years and works as a job coach in Vienna. After I mention that I have been to court, she tells me that she used to be a lawyer in Russia. Curious, I ask her why she changed careers.
She explains: “I studied law because I wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives. When I started as a lawyer, I believed that lawyers could significantly impact people’s lives. But I soon realized that judges are only human and not always neutral, and neither is the court system. It made me feel powerless when I often couldn’t help my clients get justice, simply because of how the system worked. Wherever there are people who seek power, a system will never work fairly. I really wanted to help my clients get justice, but often, it just wasn’t possible. So I switched careers after realizing how hopeless the situation was.”
I then ask her: “Does Russia have a court similar to the ECHR?”
“We have three instances, and then a fourth instance, just like here, but the court has a different name. It’s a bit different from the ECHR. The fourth instance court is in Moscow.”
“Have you ever had to pursue a case in the fourth instance?”
“I haven’t, but some of my colleagues have.”
Have you ever met a lawyer?