"Exactly what's missing": The Dagestan Bar Association has proposed that defense attorneys wear robes in court.
The Dagestan Bar Association, in collaboration with the Federal Chamber of Advocates of the Russian Federation, has developed special gown designs for defense attorneys. The initiative's authors claim that introducing a unified professional attire will enhance the legal profession's standing. However, lawyers themselves have met the proposal with strong skepticism.
How much does a lawyer's robe cost?
According to the Federal Chamber of Advocates' website, the introduction of the uniform is aimed at fostering a strict, professional image for defense attorneys. Specifically, the Dagestan Bar Association's website already features samples from the official clothing manufacturer "Mantia."
Furthermore, each model costs 18,600 rubles. Lawyers are advised to purchase their robes at their own expense.
The reaction of the legal community and the irony of colleagues
However, Russian lawyers were extremely skeptical of this idea. For example, according to former lawyer Mikhail Benyash, introducing robes in today's reality is pointless:
Introducing robes into the legal profession is about the same as giving a person with a broken spine a nose job.
In turn, Krasnodar lawyer Kondrat Gorishniy commented ironically on the initiative of the security forces and the chambers on his Telegram channel:
A robe is certainly exactly what a Russian lawyer lacks today. If a lawyer is denied access to their client, waiting outside the police station in a robe is much more respectable. If a confidential conversation with a client is being recorded, a robe looks great on surveillance video. And if an overly active defense leads to the lawyer being accused, they'll have to wear it constantly. They'll even serve their sentence in it.
Context: Pressure on defense institutions in Russia
Therefore, the irony of lawyers stems from the intense pressure on the profession. Specifically, in 2025, at least 591 cases of pressure on lawyers were recorded in Russia. Law enforcement agencies use a wide range of methods, from denying access to clients to criminal prosecution and outright physical violence.
Ultimately, the most high-profile criminal prosecution was that of Alexei Navalny's lawyers. For carrying out their professional duties, they received sentences ranging from 3,5 to 5,5 years in prison under charges of participating in an "extremist community."
