Review of Criminal Case Judgments by a Supervisory Court in the Context of the Principles of Res Judicata and Non Bis in Idem

The paper analyzes the current state of the supervisory review institution in Russian criminal procedure. Particular attention is paid to its relationship with the principles of res judicata and non bis in idem. The study examines the shortcomings of the existing legislation, including the excessive breadth of the «revisionary principle» and the abstract nature of the statutory grounds for review, as well as the procedural uncertainty surrounding the «self-review» of decisions rendered by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. The author carries out a comparative analysis of supervisory review and the reopening of criminal proceedings based on new or newly discovered circumstances, revealing inconsistencies and overlapping functions between these mechanisms. The study also provides a critical analysis of Ruling No. 5-P of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation dated 11 May 2005. At the same time, it substantiates the need to limit the application of the «revisionary principle» in proceedings before the supervisory review court and proposes corresponding amendments to Art. 412.12 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. The author concludes that the time limit for reopening criminal proceedings on the basis of new or newly discovered circumstances should be reduced. Based on the findings of the study, the author proposes reforming the «pyramid» of review stages by transforming the supervisory review instance into a cassation instance while simultaneously reducing the number of levels of judicial review.

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