Stand up, the trial is coming

Tomorrow the Kremlin will host the sixth All-Russian Congress of Judges. 7 delegates are traveling from Tomsk to attend it. One of the issues on the agenda of the congress is a discussion of attempts by the executive branch to limit the independence of Russian courts. Judicial reform in Russia has been going on for just over 10 years. This is not enough for people to start believing in justice, says Sergei Antonov, chairman of the Tomsk Regional Council of Judges. The Kremlin's latest attempts to integrate the court into the vertical of power are not new.
Sergei Antonov, Chairman of the Tomsk Regional Council of Judges: “There have always been attempts to influence the judiciary.”
Sergei Antonov considers various cases - criminal, administrative, civil. He says that in the last 4 years - since the last All-Russian Congress of Judges - Tomsk residents have begun to turn to the courts more often to solve their problems. And this means a lot personally for Sergei Antonov. He is confident that people have begun to trust judges more. But even more often, Russians do not want to go to court. Human rights activists say the fear of trial has been cultivated for decades.
At the congress of judges in the Kremlin, the personnel problem will also be discussed. Now the courts cannot ensure uninterrupted consideration of cases - there are not enough judges. “The courts are overloaded, hence the red tape” - Tatyana Dedkova, magistrate, one of the congress delegates. He says that he expects him to solve many judicial problems.
Tatyana Dedkova, justice of the peace: “I’m waiting for the adoption of the code of honor.”
At the All-Russian Congress, judges will discuss the progress of reform of the judicial system. They are trying to be independent and prove to the Russians that our trial is fair. But public opinion polls so far tell a different story. 67% of Russian citizens believe that most judges take bribes. This figure, obtained by sociologists from the Public Opinion Foundation in early October, best characterizes the attitude of Russians towards the judicial system.