NOVO-OGAREVO (near Moscow), March 13. /TASS/. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with head of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev on reform of the judicial system and expressed confidence the merger of two highest courts will favour improvement of the judicial practice.

"I am confident about the fundamental basis of our judicial system, and I believe this initiative to merge two courts (the Supreme Court and the Supreme Arbitration Court) will favour improvement of the judicial practice, so that citizens of the Russian Federation could feel there is a body, truly protecting their rights," Putin said.

In June 2013, the president initiated a merger of the Supreme and Supreme Arbitration Courts and explained it by saying it is necessary to unify the judicial practice. The law on changes to the constitution was inked in February 2014. The document reads, the Supreme Court is the highest judicial chamber on civil, criminal, administrative cases, as well as on settlement of economic disputes. The Supreme Court will consider issues of the abrogated Supreme Arbitration Court.