OREANDA-NEWS. November 23, 2010. The main topic of the meeting, chaired by the President, was improving the work of Russia’s arbitration courts.

The President noted that the amount of money budgeted toward the development of Russia’s judicial system is currently comparable to financing in other nations, but many issues remain unresolved.

Particular attention must be given to the workload of judges in arbitration courts. The workload has been somewhat reduced with the implementation of alternative methods for resolving economic disputes; furthermore, it will be aided by a law on mediation procedures that will come into effect in January next year. However, the President emphasised it is important to remember that an excessive burden on judges ultimately leads to a decrease in the quality of case consideration, indicating the necessity to seek out other measures to reduce this burden.

Taking part in the meeting were President of the Constitutional Court Valery Zorkin, President of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev, President of the Supreme Arbitration Court Anton Ivanov, Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Naryshkin, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Vladislav Surkov, Presidential Aide and Chief of the Presidential State-Legal Directorate Larisa Brychyova, Presidential Adviser Veniamin Yakovlev, and judges of the Supreme Arbitration Court.