In his opening remarks, Mr Putin said that he was against reinstating the death penalty in Russia, adding that as a person with a basic legal education he knew that a toughening of punishment does not lead to the eradication of crime, unfortunately.
Speaking of judicial reform in Russia, the President described it as a major political priority. An independent and impartial court is the legal protection of ordinary people, it is a fundamental condition of the development of a sound, competitive economy. Finally, it is respect for the state, faith in the power of the law and in the power of justice, he stressed.