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1990 The Supreme Council adopted the
Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation committing itself to
the separation of powers (legislative, executive and judicial).
On the initiative of V.A. Zolotukhin, the Deputy Chairman of
the Legislative Committee of the RF Supreme Council, a group of independent
experts (S.A.Pashin, Yu.I.Stetsovsky, I.B.Mikhailovskaya, T.G.Morschakova and
others) began to develop the Draft Concept of Judicial Reform in the Russian
Federation.
1991 The Supreme Council of the
Russian Federation adopted the:
Law “On the Constitutional Court in the Russian
Federation”; for the first time in Soviet history this Law declared that the
extent of judges’ authority is not limited by a certain period of time; it
stipulated the irremovability of judges from office and stipulated a strict,
formal order of suspending or stopping judges’ authorities.
Law “On the Court of Arbitration”; state arbitration
boards which used to be administrative bodies, were replaced by judicial bodies.
The First All Russia Congress of Judges took place, at which
a Council of Judges was formed and the question of developing a law on the
status of judges was posed. The Congress supported the Draft Concept of Judicial
Reform in the Russian Federation.
The RF Supreme Council issued a Decree on the Concept of
Judicial Reform in the Russian Federation, which pointed out that
“establishing judicial power in the state mechanism as an influential power
independent from legislative and executive ones” was one of the main aims of
the Russian state.
The Russian President signed two decrees, one of them
stipulating the transference of buildings and premises from CPSU territorial
bodies to courts and the other on establishing a Judicial Reform Department of
the State Legal Directorate. The purpose of the Department was to carry out
judicial reform.
1992 The Judicial Reform Department and
Court Proceedings began to function at the Presidential State Legal Directorate.
Changes and alterations stipulating judicial control over
arrests sanctioned by Procuracy bodies were introduced in the Criminal
Procedural Code.
In order to establish independent judicial power, the RF
Supreme Council adopted the Law On the Status of Judges in the Russian
Federation.
1993 The prerogative of the judicial
corporation together with judicial bodies to appoint or remove judges from their
posts, to acknowledge the right to financial or social privileges, to retire
with receipt of life-long salary and to remain a member of the judges
corporation etc. was introduced into the legislation.
The Second Congress of Judges took place. It approved draft
laws on gradual introduction of jury trials in Russia.
Changes and amendments were introduced into the Criminal
Procedural Code. They allowed the gradual introduction of jury trials in Russia.
The President of the Russian Federation issued a decree
approving a program of actions to introduce jury trials in nine regions of
Russia.
The first cases to be considered by jury trials took place in
the Moscow, Ivanov, Ryazan, Saratov regions and the Stavropol Krai. The first
one took place in the Saratov regional court.
1994 First jury trials took place in
the Altay and Krasnodar krais, and in the Rostov and Uljanovsk regions.
The Third Special All Russian Congress of Judges took place.
In the resolution adopted by the Congress as the first step toward independent
functioning of judicial power, it was found necessary to establish a Judicial
Department which would work with the participation and under the control of the
judicial branch.
The Judicial Reform Council was established under the
auspices of the President of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the
President’s decree, the Council is a consultative body under the President
carrying out the concept of judicial reform, working out state policy aimed at
introducing judicial power as an entity independent of legislative and executive
powers.
1995 As of January 1, 1995, 173 jury trials
took place in nine Russian regions.
On March 23, the President met with members of the Judicial
Reform Council. They discussed ways to overcome the crisis in the judicial
system which had occurred due to the lack of funds and means of deepening
reforms. On March 29, the President requested the Head of the Presidential
Administration to transform the Judicial Reform Council into a separate division
under Presidential Administration to promote judicial reform.
At the end of April, on the order of the Head of the
Presidential Administration, the Judicial Reform Department of the State Legal
Directorate was dismissed.
The Constitutional Court considered three cases on rights
violations of the accused and of prisoners.
According to the press center of the Ministry of Justice,
over the past two years jury trials had considered 532 cases; only in half of
the cases was the accused found guilty.
The Concept of Judicial Reform in the Russian Federation,
approved by the President and adopted by the RF Supreme Council in October 1991,
became a principle document which outlined strategic directions for judicial
reform in 1991—95.
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