Isaac Steinberg: The First People’s Commissar of Justice of the RSFSR

The article is devoted to the People’s Commissar of Justice of the RSFSR, a researcher, a member of the Party of Left Social Revolutionaries Isaak Z. Steinberg (1888–1957). This year his 135th anniversary is celebrated. Since the formation of the new state, the new Soviet state needed people able to retain power. Holding the post of People’s Commissar of Justice of the RSFSR from 1917 to 1918, I.S. Steinberg made a significant contribution to the formation of Soviet criminal legislation and the system of Russian justice. The importance of his activity was to restrain the repressive policy pursued by the Soviet government in the early years of its rule against the «counter-revolutionaries.» Isaac Zakharovich was a strong person, with an inner core. Obviously, during the years of his professional activity in the RSFSR, he was constantly faced with the question whether to become a «terrible» judge or to remain a person with universal spirituality. While holding the post of People’s Commissar of Justice of the RSFSR, he made efforts to ensure that the established institutions of the Soviets sought to observe revolutionary legality. Despite his professional and political frankness with the top officials of the country, namely, V.I. Lenin and L.D. Trotsky, and adamancy in the views, Schteinberg managed to survive until 1957. While presiding over the People’s Commissariat of Justice, he made a significant contribution to the prisons’ administartion. In addition, I.S. Steinberg proposed to consider serious criminal cases in the presence of jurors. He was the editor of the criminal justice department, a talented writer, author of plays for the theater. However, in 1923, during his business trip to Vienna, Isaac Zakharovich was deprived of the right to return to his homeland. He lived first in Berlin, then moved to the USA, where he finished his life and professional career.

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