Судейский корпус в России: выбор профессии, карьерные возможности и ограничения

Abstract

The article analyzes results of a study of the judiciary conducted in 2021–2022 in the Novosibirsk region, materials are summarized on the sociodemographic and professional characteristics of the judiciary, their infl uence on the motivation for choosing a profession and career advancement of judges. The interdisciplinary nature of the research led to the use of sociological (questionnaires and in-depth interviews) and legal methods of research (historicallegal, formal-legal, comparative-legal). As a result of the study, the author highlights the deepening of the processes of feminization and rejuvenation, which were recorded earlier. The overwhelming majority of judges are young women aged 30–45 years. The demographic composition of the judiciary is determined by the sources of its formation, the professional experience of most judges is limited to work in the court apparatus, in which graduates of law faculties of universities are employed, and after obtaining the necessary skills and experience in the court apparatus, they become judges. The main reasons for the apparatusbureaucratic way of forming the judiciary were the content of the work and the requirements for the professional qualities of a judge – the ability to consider a large volume of cases in the shortest possible time, correctly fi ll out documents and control procedural deadlines. The sources of replenishment of the judiciary determine the motivation for choosing a profession and career expectations for judges. For young women coming from the court staff, the main factors in choosing a profession were the desire for professional and social self-realization, combined with material rewards and social guarantees. When choosing a professional trajectory, most judges attributed the acquisition of power and high social status to insignifi cant factors. In such a situation, low or indefi nite career aspirations of a signifi cant part of judges are natural. At the same time, the unexpressed ambitions of the majority of the judiciary coincide with the capabilities of the judiciary itself, judges are a profession with low vertical mobility, only a small part has a real chance to get promoted and become the head of a district court or become a judge of a regional court.