DesertFox
07-01-2002, 02:25 AM
Link (http://www.suntimes.com/output/lifestyles/cst-nws-adopt30.html)
... On Monday, Russia will adopt a new legal code that governs the prosecution of criminal cases and protects the rights of those accused. In a country where the criminal justice system remains ossified in its Soviet past, the introduction of the code is being called the first step of a judicial revolution.
Anyone accused of a crime must now appear in court within 48 hours, codifying the concept of habeas corpus into Russia's system. As of Monday, defendants may demand a lawyer from the moment they are arrested and, when acquitted, will no longer be subjected to double jeopardy, except in the rarest instances.
The code enshrines the fundamental concept of presumption of innocence and gives new responsibilities — and, in theory, independence — to judges, while it will gradually strip prosecutors of the enormous powers they have wielded over almost every step of any prosecution, from arrest to trial. Defense lawyers will have the right to challenge the admissibility of evidence, throwing out, among other things, evidence collected by wiretaps without a warrant.
Entire article (http://www.suntimes.com/output/lifestyles/cst-nws-adopt30.html)
... On Monday, Russia will adopt a new legal code that governs the prosecution of criminal cases and protects the rights of those accused. In a country where the criminal justice system remains ossified in its Soviet past, the introduction of the code is being called the first step of a judicial revolution.
Anyone accused of a crime must now appear in court within 48 hours, codifying the concept of habeas corpus into Russia's system. As of Monday, defendants may demand a lawyer from the moment they are arrested and, when acquitted, will no longer be subjected to double jeopardy, except in the rarest instances.
The code enshrines the fundamental concept of presumption of innocence and gives new responsibilities — and, in theory, independence — to judges, while it will gradually strip prosecutors of the enormous powers they have wielded over almost every step of any prosecution, from arrest to trial. Defense lawyers will have the right to challenge the admissibility of evidence, throwing out, among other things, evidence collected by wiretaps without a warrant.
Entire article (http://www.suntimes.com/output/lifestyles/cst-nws-adopt30.html)