MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated deputy head of the Supreme Court Irina Podnosova to be the Court’s new president, pending the approval of the Federation Council, the chairman of the Federation Council’s committee on constitutional legislation and statehood Andrei Klishas has said.

"The Federation Council has received President Vladimir Putin’s nomination of Irina Podnosova for the post of Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation," Klishas wrote in his Telegram channel.

When the Committee will hold its deliberations on the issue is yet to be determined, as is the date of the upper house’s plenary session on the matter, Klishas said.

According to current law, the Federation Council considers appointments to the posts of judges within 14 days following nomination by the president. The next meeting of the Federation Council is scheduled for April 17.

Currently, Podnosova also holds the post of chairman of the Judicial Collegium for Economic Disputes.

The position of chairman of the Supreme Court of Russia has been vacant since Vyacheslav Lebedev, who had headed the highest court since 1989 died on February 23. A search for a possible successor was conducted, and Podnosova was the only candidate proposed. On April 1, the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Judges (SQCJ) considered the nomination and presented its conclusion to the president. On April 4, the presidential commission for the preliminary consideration of the appointment of judges and termination of their powers approved Podnosova's candidacy for the position of the head of Russia’s Supreme Court.

Closer look at Podnosova

Podnosova was born in Pskov in 1953. In 1975, she graduated from the Department of Law at Leningrad State University. She started her career as a lawyer at a factory, moving to a job as a consultant at the regional authorities’ office and eventually becoming the chair of the Second Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction. In 2020, she joined the Supreme Court.

Under the Constitution, the Federation Council considers the appointment of the President of the Supreme Court and his deputies at the proposal of the head of state.