Judicial Power in the Modern Legal System

The organization and functioning of judicial power within the modern legal order cover a wide range of issues, including the nature of judicial authority; its place and role within the constitutional system of separation of powers; the court system and judicial proceedings; the characteristics of different forms of adjudication (constitutional, civil, commercial, administrative, criminal); and the directions and prospects for developing the national judiciary amid today’s challenges of digitalization, technological change, and socio-political and economic pressures. They also include new conditions for interaction with supranational and foreign jurisdictions, as well as the need to uphold the sovereign and independent character of national justice. According to guiding policy documents, these issues must be addressed with a focus on delivering lawful, socially oriented, accessible, transparent, and equal justice for all, aiming to improve its efficiency and quality. What are the key directions for enhancing judicial efficiency?
Discussion of these and related questions invites reflection on the academic and practical legacy of Vyacheslav Lebedev, longtime Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, to whose memory this panel is dedicated.