Experts: Merger of the supreme courts in Russia may be positive

MOSCOE, June 21 – Prime. The experts questioned by PRIME believe that the positive result of the merger of the Supreme Court of Russia and the Higher Court of Arbitration of Russia will depend on whether it will be possible to employ the best practices elaborated by the arbitration system.

Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, suggested Friday merging the Supreme Court with the Higher Court of Arbitration and making the respective amendments to the Constitution. He said that the respective draft law will be submitted to the Parliament within days and asked that it be prepared for consideration during the autumn session.

Denis Shumskiy, Advocate of the Law Firm "YUST", says: “Much will depend on whether it will be possible to employ the best practices that have already been elaborated, especially by the arbitration courts, in the newly created system”. He reminded that the idea of the merger has been discussed for a long enough time. Still, it is currently difficult to say if any positive result will be reached by its implementation.

“I believe it will have a positive effect,” –Alexander Galushka, president of the public business organization “Business Russia” says regarding the Presidential idea. He explains by saying that the new structure, which is created as a result of the merger, accumulates all the good traits of both systems.

He noted: “An entire range of such efficient and modern practices is accumulated in the court of arbitration. We expect that precisely those best practices, the best working experience, and the best justice practices will become dominating as a result of the merger”.

Meanwhile Alexander Brechalov, president of the small-business association “Bulwark of Russia”, refrained from a definitely positive evaluation of the President’s decision, noting, however, that it is most likely correct.

He says: “I do not quite understand the purpose of that decision. But, in order to simplify control, so to put it, and transparency of the judicial system – certainly this decision is correct”.

Still, Brechalov adds, no model will give positive effects, if it is poorly implemented.

He states: “You know, one may invent all kinds of models, but if a different approach is put in practice – merger or no merger, nothing will change”.

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See also at the RAPSI website.