Much can be done to improve the situation without any extra expenditures, simply by observing European legal standards, which, in any case, are mandatory to all three nations. The Kiev seminar touched on the basic issue of separation of powers. This fundamental precondition for a democratic society based on the rule of law is still far from being fully observed in the three countries. The situation is particularly alarming in Belarus, where the executive power, concentrated in the office of the presidency, to all intents and purposes controls the judiciary. In the other two countries, the status of the judges is unacceptably low.
Judges depend for housing and for offices on the executive branch.
This dependency is incompatible with the international obligations of the two countries, and harms the every-day interests of citizens. Further, low salaries keep the best lawyers away from seeking vacant judgeships. The main issue, however, seems to be the role of the prokuratura , a Soviet type of institution, combining police and judicial functions. A conclusion of the Kiev seminar was that only by strengthening the position of the courts can the situation be improved. The seminar is recommending that by making the courts responsible for major decisions now under the authority of the prokuratura , the three societies will be able to move forward toward a more just society.