Russian Rule-Ette: Using Khodorkovsky’s Criminal Trial to Asses the State of Russia’s Judiciary

Abstract

The criminal trial of Russian oligarch and oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky in connection with Yukos Oil has been one of the most publicized and controversial trials in the history of the Russian Federation. Khodorkovsky’s conviction in the Russian courts has raised grounds for appeal to the European Court of Human Rights on both procedural and substantive grounds. This Note discusses the failures of judicial reform in Russia since the founding of the Russian Federation that have been brought to light by Khodorkovsky’s trial, and assesses the causes of these failures and the prospects for judicial reform.