The meeting's main themes were problems concerning the increase in recurring criminality, the situation of former prisoners, and the way that juries operate.
Vyacheslav Lebedev reported that in 2005 the number of affairs – civil, administrative and criminal ones – that went before the courts increased. Last year 7,620,000 civil cases, 4,260,000 cases concerning administrative offences, and 1,250,000 criminal cases were registered.
In connection with this, there has been an increase in recurring criminality among criminal cases, and it is necessary to adopt a number of measures to monitor people who have been provisionally convicted, those who are on probation, or those who have been released ahead of schedule. It is a question not only of monitoring their activities and, without a doubt, this does not infringe on their constitutional rights, but of monitoring these people's reintegration into society. 67 percent of the people who were put on probation or released ahead of schedule had no permanent source of income and no permanent job.
In connection with this the Chairman of the Supreme Court considers that it is expedient to adopt a law on the social integration of former prisoners and those persons who are on probation or who have been released ahead of schedule.
Vyacheslav Lebedev supported the idea of the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin to create commissions to work with jury members in the regions of the Russian Federation. According to the Chairman of the Supreme Court this measure will increase the effectiveness of the work done by juries.
When speaking about the effectiveness of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev talked about how work is proceeding on a project of a federal law on the rights of citizens and legal persons to obtain information on judicial activity in the Russian Federation. It is very important to adopt legislation that strengthens the rights of society and citizens and allows them to benefit from openness, publicity and transparency regarding judicial activity, Vyacheslav Lebedev emphasized.