ABSTRACT
Some of the greatest threats to the autonomy of judges in Russia come from within the judiciary. Higher court judges, the chairmen of particular courts, and even the instruments of judicial self-governance like the judicial qualification commissions all influence the conduct of judges in trial courts. A sure sign of the achievement of some judicial independence and power in Russia is the emergence of the issue of accountability. In Russia the chairmen of courts are powerful figures. At the district court, the chairman exercises control over many administrative functions that affect both the work lives and economic well-being of his judges. Certainly there is much incentive to render decisions and sentences that please the superior court in provincial Russia, where promotion from a rural district to the region's capital city can mean a huge increase in access to consumer goods and a significant improvement in the standard of living.
