Viktor Nikitich Panin

Count Viktor Nikitich Panin (9 April (28 March Old Style) 1801 Moscow – 13 April (1 April Old Style) 1862 Nice) was conservative Russian Minister of Justice (1841–1862). The trial was not public and all the proceedings, everything including the trial itself was made strictly in written. Panin opposed to introduce jury and attorneys into the Russian trial system. His reason for not to allow attorneys in Russia was that “it is highly not recommended that laws were known by people other than government officials”. In most cases his personal opinion was the final decision. He championed corporal punishments, only nobles (less than 1% of population) were not subject to corporal punishments in Russia under Panin as Minister of Justice. Alexander II put him as a chief of the Committee for Abolition of serfdom, it was a surprising act of the Emperor’s even for Panin who opposed the abolition. Panin only did what the Emperor told him, though he insisted to reduce peasants' land lots to the lowest minimum size, serfdom in Russia was finally abolished in 1861.

His granddaughter, Sofia Panina was a philanthropist who became active in the Constitutional Democratic Party following the February Revolution. She was subjected to a political trial following the Bolshevik seizure of power in the October Revolution.

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