School of Protection

We poorly understand what is about in the famous biblical plot when Pilate asked Christ: “What is the truth?” And we feel even less bitter irony in the question of the prosecutor of Judea. In many ways, because in Russian culture the word “truth” if it is not written, then it is perceived exclusively with the title letter: truth. Exactly the same as this word sounded in the lips of Christ. And for the Roman Pontius “Truth” is a court decision. Just all, no hill, no capital letters.

I don’t know, probably, that we understand the truth as truth is good. Perhaps such an understanding is one of the few bonds that prevent us from falling into the final wilderness (already our Nevazhnetsky things), but this uniform perception of truth as truth instantly turns into a catastrophe, only we need to face justice.

And with "Basmann justice" - especially.

“I’ll explain everything to you now! ..” - a typical reaction in the situation when you have come for you. Typical, organic - only now, as a rule, it is at this moment that we are already signing the verdict. Moreover, of course, the verdict is a prosecution. Meanwhile, just knowledge about how justice is arranged, what a court is, how to act during the investigation, search, at the hearing and so on can already help greatly at least because fatal mistakes will not be made (or they will be remarkly less). Because in court the truth is the truth with a small, technical letter. This applies to any justice based on Roman law - both in Europe and America, and even do not believe it! - In Russia.

Even more than that, this applies to “Basmann justice” in specialty.

Moreover, in Russia, from the Soviet times, the Institute of Public Defender has been preserved from the Soviet times, which is now just called the “defender” and who has the right - exactly from the moment a person becomes a defender - is exactly the same as a professional lawyer. I note immediately that the responsibility is the same. And, becoming a defender, you can either help the client and harm him in full. But you can help. To our relatives, friends, associates - and we are not entitled to miss such an opportunity.

Moreover- an indispensable refrain!- When the justice is “basmanny”.

Based on all of the above and sometimes of his own bitter experience, “Rus' sitting” with the support of the Sakharov Center from February 1 to 8 held the first “course”, the first set of the school of public defender. Five days from 12 to 17 hours (and actually up to 18, and until 19), wonderful lawyers, experienced lawyers and defenders conducted classes at school. Absolutely free for listeners and on a purely volunteer basis for the hosts. Because all organizers and lecturers understand how important and necessary. The program, forced to admit, was monstrously dense: imagine that in five days we “spent” the audience through all the thorns and ambushes of the criminal process (from the very beginning- the charges- and to the parole), administrators (from detention to appeal) and even in detail told about video and photo pronunciations playing an increasingly noticeable role, about the principles of publicity and communication with the press, and about how What can be addressed to the ECHR, and there is a lot more about the important and useful in our, to put it mildly, not always prosperous life. As the listeners, all this withstood and learned - for me a complete riddle. But, judging by the way the questions changed day by day, and they became more precisely, more meaningful, more meaningful, more and more aiming - all the participants obviously more and more delved into the essence of the matter and sorted it deeper into it.

Will the defenders come out of all the "graduates"? Don't know. Probably, of all, it is unlikely. Because in order to become a defender, in addition to knowledge, a lot of things need: some (and considerable) self -confidence, endurance, nerves, and just an opportunity to break away from work. And until you try it in business, it’s hard to say, you can be a defender and help others or not. But this is not so important that everyone-all-all who has gone through the school becomes defenders: if people can protect themselves at least themselves, do not make elementary mistakes and even just understand what they are dealing with when meeting justice-this is already a lot.

And with the "Basmann justice" - guessed - especially.

This was the first pancake, which, it seems, was not lumpy. Now the “pancake” will work quite regularly: the next set in mid -March (and this will be an evening course for those who cannot engage in the day: six three -hour classes for two weeks every other day), and then in May - again the day school for five days in a row. All there - in the hospitable Sakharov Center, without an interested participation of which it would hardly happen. And with him together we hope that the school will become a great and important history, a large and important project, yes, eliminating false pink illusions, but also giving knowledge and weapons to confront arbitrariness.

And the last: to sign up for participation in the work of a school of a public defender is never too late here .



Illustration of the site "Sitting Rus'"