NCJ Number
199549
Date Published
2001
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This report describes the role of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the United Nations Office at Vienna (CPCJB) in providing assistance to the Government of the Russian Federation in devising and implementing its judicial reform.
Abstract
This report first outlines the justification for the international community's involvement and support for the process of democratic reforms in the Russian Federation. This is followed by descriptions of the Russian Federation's public administrative structure and its justice system. Next, the judicial reform, which can be regarded as having officially begun on October 24, 1991 (when the Supreme Soviet passed a Decree that approved the basic concept of the reform), is described. The primary purposes of the reform are noted to be the establishment of the rule of law through democratic means and upgrading the professional level of judges. The legislative and administrative framework for the reform is then described, followed by a descriptive summary of the Federal program on crime prevention and control. On October 23, 1992, the State and Legal Administration of the President of the Russian Federation requested the CPCJB to provide assistance to the Russian Government in its judicial reform. Following this request, the CPCJB organized a meeting at the United Nations Office in Vienna with representatives of the State and Legal Administration for the purpose of discussing in greater detail the substance of the request and nature of the assistance required. On the basis of these consultations, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna informed certain donor countries of the request and asked them to consider providing support. The Governments of Austria, Canada, France, and the United States provided assistance for the judicial reform. The Governments of Austria, Canada, and France organized training for Russian judges. The Government of the United States assisted in the implementation of jury trial as part of the judicial reform at nine krays and oblasts courts by means of organizing the training of Russian judges and providing technical expertise, including computer hardware and software. The Government of the Netherlands organized a study-visit for senior executives in connection with the introduction of computerization in the criminal justice system. In a section on the promotion of a more effective administration of criminal justice in the Russian Federation, this report discusses the aims of applying computer technology in criminal justice and the potential for computerization in criminal justice in the Russian Federation. A section on planning and implementation of computerization in criminal justice addresses the objective of computerization in criminal justice and planning and preparing for computerization in criminal justice. Other sections of this report focus on the proposed program and assistance for the introduction of computerization in criminal justice in the Russian Federation, the need for coordination, the provision of practical assistance, and institutional arrangements for international assistance in the Russian Federation's judicial reform.