Republic

MINSK, 16 June (BelTA) – The General Prosecutor Office of Belarus has prepared the proposals to improve the legal system, BelTA learned from the General Prosecutor Office.

The initiatives were drafted after the recent meeting to discuss the improvement of the operation of general jurisdiction courts at the President’s Adminstration.

According to the General Prosecutor Office, it is possible to issue an act on the additional measures to improve the operation of general jurisdiction courts and protect the rights of people while delivering justice, set up an inter-agency commission to control the delivery of justice. The General Prosecutor Office officials believe that the act should include the measures aimed at ensuring court rulings’ legitimacy and the unity of the judicial opinion. The act should also raise the efficiency of court rulings’ implementation, strengthen responsibility of judges and brisk up legislation activity.

According to the General Prosecutor Office, the Supreme Court Plenary Session should provide recommendations to courts regarding the implementation of the branch legislation. It is necessary to expand the Plenary Session’s power and give it the right to supervise the legitimacy of the Supreme Court Presidium rulings on criminal and civil cases. It will help improve the judicial practice and eliminate the miscarriages of justice.

There are plans to expand the practice of trying cases at the visiting sessions to forestall repeated or corruption offences, to record the proceedings and introduce video conferences. The General Prosecutor Office initiates the creation of websites with the information regarding the operation of courts, and the single automated system to keep records of all rulings that have entered into legal force.

Moreover, the General Prosecutor Office proposed to try criminal cases by the board of professional judges instead of people's assessors.

There are plans to step up control over the implementation of court’s rulings. Moreover, the Prosecutor Office wants to ensure full implementation of court rulings within a reasonable time, for instance, within a year since the ruling has entered into legal force.

One more proposal deals with the responsibility (administrative and criminal) for the evasion from fines without a good reason. Moreover, according to the General Prosecutor Office, it is essential to step up demands for the personnel, strengthen the responsibility of legal system representatives for red tape and unfounded rulings. The Supreme Court and the Justice Ministry should immediately react on the miscarriages of justice and hold judges disciplinary liable.