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A meeting of Public and Consultative Councils of the Russia’s Investigative Committee has been held today at the Committee to discuss legislative framework for the institution of finding the objective truth as the aim of proving during a criminal procedure. The meeting was presided over by Alexander Bastrykin and attended by heads of divisions and officials of the Central Office of the Russia’s Investigative Committee, members of the Public Council of the Investigative Committee, Science and Consultative Council of the Committee, scientists, lawyers, representatives of different confessions of faith and others.

Speaking at the meeting the Chairman of the Investigative Committee analyzed laws in action in our country in different years and stated that “historically one of the characteristic features of Russian people was the urge to find the truth and many works of famous Russian lawyers consistently defended institutions of truth for the sake of justice”. “However in our time investigators are more anxious about finding evidence of guilt of a suspect, but the direction of investigation should be changed to also find evidence of innocence and objective truth”, - stressed Mr. Bastrykin. Therefore, he pointed out that the investigator cannot be on the side of prosecution, but should equally look for the evidence of guilt and innocence.

Deputy Alexander Remezkov, who submitted the bill in the State Duma, also drew attention to change the role of court in the criminal procedure, pointing out that “we should proceed from a model historically characteristic for us, which enables the court to look for the truth”. President of the Russian Lawyers Guild Gasan Mirzoyev express his assurance that bringing in the institution of objective truth means going back to “good past times”. In his opinion if the bill is passed the way it is now, it would do no harm to adversarial nature of the trial. Head of criminal procedure, justice and prosecutor’s control department of law faculty in M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Leonid Golovko analyzed features of western systems of criminal proceedings and also supported the initiative of the Investigative Committee. Other participants of the discussion noted positive sides to the bill as well. 

Head of Media Relations                                                                                                      V.I. Markin