From 1998 to August 1999 (Sergei Kiriyenko's Cabinet, Yevgeny Primakov's Cabinet, Sergei Stepashin's Cabinet) he was Justice Minister of Russia.
Periode 1998 – 1999 (Kabinet Sergei Kiriyenko, Kabinet Yevgeny Primakov, Kabinet Sergei Stepashin), ia tampil sebagai menteri kehakiman.