Introduction to Russian Law Soili Nysten-Haarala University of Lapland Autumn 2013

Course Outline Soili Nysten-Haarala Introduction Structure of the Federation Federal Organs Local Self-Administration Division of powers between the federation and the regions Property Rights Ivan Saveliev Russian Legal History

INTRODUCTION Transitional society or a special Russian system? transition starting point goal a planned economy a market economy marxism leninism democracy one-party system democratic centralism the rule of law Modernization

Law and Change? No help from legal analysis Legal history has a longer perspective Interdisciplinary Approaches: New Institutional Economics – Douglass North interplay of formal (legal rules) and informal constraints interest groups path-dependency Regulation theories change governed by regulation both public and private - legal pluralism Comparative law legal transplants Law and Development?

Multiplicity of Norms and Regulations in International Business international organizations (interpretations of specialists), e.g, WTO EU regulation nation state legislation NGO regulation f.ex. FSC certification academic ”lex mercatoria” (PECL, UNIDROIT-principles standard contracts (Orgalime, NL…) Trade usages, trade customs Practices of businesses Public governance Private governance

How to modernize Russia in today’s pluralistic environment in a society with dominance of informal institutions with corruption and distrust towards formal institutions with authoritarian thinking modes in multicultural circumstances Passing new laws is not the one and only solution

TYPICAL FEATURES OF RUSSIAN LAW: Continental legal system Codification of law Jurisprudence of concepts “State and Law” cf. Anglo-American traditions

Hierarchy of Norms cf. Article 15.3 constitution international treaties Constitutional laws ¾ and 2/3 code (кодекс), law (закон) decree (указ) decisions (постановление, распоряжение) instructions

Birth of the Russian Federation and the Constitutional Order the Minsk (Belozevsk) Treaty 1991 – state succession CIS – Community of Independent States ”the constitutional order” Constitution of December 1993 (Eltsin’s Constitution) was made difficult to change (chapters 1, 2 and 9) Human rights and citizens’ rights (chapter 2) Article 15.4 e.g. Article 7, Art 20

STRUCTURE OF THE FEDERATION subjects of the federation (Article 65) republics/ states (республика) 21 Territories (край) 6 Regions (область) 49 2 cities of federal importance Autonomous region (автономная область) Autonomous areas (автономный округ) 6 (earlier 10) In principle all equal (Article 5) Diminishing the number of subjects from 89 originally, now 85 7 districts (округ) under presidential administration (pres. decree nr. 849, 13 May 2000)

FEDERAL ORGANS (organs of power) doctrine of separation of powers (article 10) a. Legislative power 2-chambered federal assembly (федеральное собрание) federal council (федеральный совет) 2 x 89 (originally) state duma (дума) 450 legislative process Articles 109, 111, 117 political parties

b. Executive power (and more?) president of the federation -legislative initiative power -Power to give decrees -Promulgation of laws (veto power) Nomination powers Can dissolve the duma (109, 111)

government nomination of prime minister (111) practice v. constitution

c. judicial power Constitutional court (Art. 125) courts (federal) arbitrazh courts general courts courts of first instance (subjects) (commercial arbitration) Procuracy (Constitution Art. 129)

division of powers between the federation and its subjects Constitution Articles division of legislative powers division of executive powers division of juridicial powers

Centralization and the Executive Power: From elections to nomination of governors and back again? Governors not allowed to be members of the Federal Council (senators) Federal districts under presidential administration

Centralization with federal legislation e.g. Forest Code 2006 Act on Subsoil (Geological) Rersouces (о недрах) 1999, changes 2000, 2002, 2004 Water Code 2006

Centralization of the Judicial System From regional elections of judges to nomination of the president Federal courts courts of first instance (mirovye sudy) as an exception

LOCAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION = municipalities (Constitution articles ) reform going on (Law on Local Self-Administration 2006) Lack of tax revenues municipal services Authoritarian informal institutions