MOSCOW, December 20 - RAPSI. The government has approved a federal program aimed at developing the judiciary during its meeting on Thursday. The program is expected to be launched in 2013 and completed in 2020.

Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov stated at the meeting that the majority of the funds will be allocated to construct and acquire court buildings.

"Most of the funds - 64.5 billion rubles ($2.1 billion) - will be used to construct, reconstruct, and acquire 92 general jurisdiction court and 11 commercial court buildings, as well as 22 buildings presently hosting the Federal Bailiff Service's territorial departments," he said.

Another 7.3 billion rubles ($237.3 million) will be allocated to provide housing to judges and subsidies for court employees to acquire housing.

The program also seeks to equip courts with security systems and alarms, which will cost an estimated 3 billion rubles ($97.5 million). Some 1.7 billion rubles ($55.2 million) will be allocated to implement modern technology throughout the judgment enforcement system.

Belousov added that 9 billion rubles ($292.6 million) will be allocated to implement modern information technologies.

"Electronic justice systems and videoconference systems will be installed in court halls, and logging systems will also be established," he said.