Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Plans Judicial Reforms

International Law

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Plans Judicial Reforms

Posted May 20, 2008, 02:28 pm CST
By Martha Neil

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, himself a former corporate lawyer and law professor, called for reform of the country's judicial system at a Kremlin meeting today of judges and legal officials.

He apparently anticipates revising Russia's criminal and administrative code to deal with the issue of bribes and outside pressure that can lead to unjust decisions and preclude an independent judiciary, according to the Moscow Times.

"Our main goal is to achieve independence for the courts as a reality," Medvedev said in a speech at the meeting, according to a transcript provided on the president's official website. "The principle that courts should be guided only by the law is well-known, and this, as a matter of fact, forms the basis for respect for the courts and trust in a fair justice system."

Medvedev called for legislation intended to "rule out unlawful decisions [resulting from] various kinds of pressure, phone calls and ... bribes," according to Reuters.

The 42-year-old president's initiative was underlined by a rare disciplinary action taken against a senior judge, the news agency notes.

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