Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Judiciary of Russia uses a trifurcated structure divided into constitutional courts, ordinary courts, and arbitration courts. The Constitutional Court and Supreme Court sit at the apex. Below them, regional courts handle appellate review and district courts serve as the primary trial courts for criminal cases.
The Constitutional Court of Russia is composed of 11 judges, with a quorum of 8 required to sit. Judges are nominated by the President and appointed by the Federation Council for 12-year terms. They must be at least 40 years old and retire at 70.
The Prosecutor General of Russia is described as the most powerful component of the Russian judicial system. The Prosecutor General is nominated by the President, confirmed by a majority of the Federation Council for a five-year term, and is the only official with the right to appeal to the Presidium of the Supreme Court.
Russian juries have granted acquittals in 15-20% of cases, compared with less than 1% in cases decided by judges alone. However, jury acquittals are frequently overturned by higher courts, and the Carnegie Moscow Center states that judges deliver not-guilty verdicts only once every seven years.
Trial by jury was first introduced in Russia by the Judicial Reform of Alexander II in 1864. Jury trials were abolished after the October Revolution in 1917 and reintroduced in the Russian Federation in 1993, then extended to an additional 69 regions in 2003.
To become an advocate in Russia, a candidate must hold a higher legal education and have either two years of post-graduation legal work experience or a training period in a law firm. The candidate must then pass a two-stage qualification exam and take a formal oath before receiving advocate status.