Stigma of the "Puppet Advocate" in Discursive Struggle between Legal Professionals in Russia

Abstract

The paper presents the analysis of «puppet advocate» stigma (literally «in-pocket advocate») that means in professional milieus the criminal defender's position dependent and obsequious to the judge and accusatorial party. Methodologically the research is based on E. Goffman's conception of stigma and constructivists tradition in social problem theory. Russian Bar members' publications, interviews with lawyers collected by the Institute for the Rule of Law EU SPb are used as empirical data. The paper shows this stigma has its significance for power discourse because it divides symbolically the legal community into «professionals» and «non-professionals» and gives a possibility to construct internal borders in the legal field by different ways. Individual stigma is transformed through discourse into group one. Not all versions of «puppet advocate's» stigma are problematizing in professional milieu. Typically as a problem only one version of the stigma becomes most popular - puppet advocate as a public defender. In professional community different ways of this problem resolution are developing and competing. The majority of them supports power relationships and strengthen internal hierarchy within the community.