Unit 3. The judiciary in Russia

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THE JUDICIARY IN RUSSIA

 

The judiciary consists of three independent parts: regionally based federal courts of general jurisdiction, courts of arbitration assigned to the resolution of economic disputes, and the Constitutional Court with the right of judicial review. The institution of justices of peace was introduced for the resolution of small claims at the local level.

Local courts are established in all administrative units of the Russian Federation and function as courts of first instance and courts of appeals for decisions of justices of peace. These courts make initial decisions in the majority of all criminal and civil cases. Federal district courts build the second level of Russia’s judicial system. Their territorial jurisdiction extends to the components of the federation where those courts have been formed. They serve as trial courts in more serious crimes and civil matters, and as appellate courts reviewing local court’s judgments. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body for civil, administrative, criminal, and other cases within the jurisdiction of courts of general jurisdiction. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the Federation Council. The Court has three divisions: civil, criminal, and military, which hear relevant cases. Thirteen specially appointed justices of the Supreme Court comprise the Presidium of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial instance in Russia in regard to cases heard by way of supervision and for newly discovered circumstances. The plenary session of the Supreme Court may issue explanations on questions pertaining to judicial practice, and it may exercise the Court’s right of legislative initiative by formulating the relevant proposals for their subsequent submission to the Parliament.

Arbitration courts are a part of the federal judicial system, but separate from regular courts and are aimed at the resolution of commercial and economic disputes. They are organized at the level of constituent components of the Russian Federation, and, despite what the name suggests, their function is to adjudicate, not arbitrate, economic disputes between business entities, and to decide on complaints against organs of state and federal administration whose decisions may affect the conduct of business operations. The internal structure and principles of the arbitration courts are similar to those of the courts of general jurisdiction.

The nineteen-member Constitutional Court decides whether federal laws, presidential and governmental decrees and directives, and regional constitutions and laws comply with federal constitution. The Constitutional Court also resolves jurisdictional disputes between federal and lower level organs of power and may be asked to interpret the federal Constitution. Rulings of the Constitutional Court are binding and final, and do not need to be confirmed by other organs or officials. Acts or their individual provisions, which have been deemed unconstitutional, become invalid.

Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты русских словосочетаний.

1. разрешение экономических споров

2. мировые судьи

3. административно-территориальные единицы

4. рассмотрение дела по существу

5. суды общей юрисдикции

6. высшая судебная инстанция

7. вновь открывшиеся обстоятельства

8. пленарное заседание

9. законодательная инициатива

10. предложения для дальнейшего рассмотрения в парламенте

11. выносить решения по жалобам

12. постановление суда окончательное и обязательное для исполнения

Переведите слова и словосочетания из текста на русский язык.

1. judiciary
2. the right of judicial review
3. courts of first instance
4. courts of appeals
5. to make initial decisions
6. to serve as trial courts in more serious crimes
7. to hear relevant cases
8. appointed justices of the Supreme Court
9. questions pertaining to judicial practice
10. economic disputes between business entities

 

 

Работа в парах. Соотнесите английские предложения в правой колонке с соответствующими русскими предложениями из левой колонки. Закрывая попеременно колонки, проверьте друг у друга правильность перевода предложений с английского языка на русский и наоборот.

1.Правосудие в Российской Федерации осуществляется только судом. (Статья 118 Конституции РФ). a. The Higher Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation shall be the supreme judicial body for settling economic disputes and other cases examined by courts of arbitration, shall carry out judicial supervision over their activities according to procedural forms envisaged in federal law and provide explanations on the issues of court proceedings.     2. Судьи независимы и подчиняются только Конституции Российской Федерации и федеральному закону. (Статья 120 Конституции РФ). b. The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, upon the requests of the President of the Russian Federation, the Council of the Federation, the State Duma, the Government of the Russian Federation, the bodies of the legislative power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, shall give its interpretation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. 3. Разбирательство дел во всех судах открытое. Слушание дела в закрытом заседании допускается в случаях, предусмотренных федеральным законом. (Статья 123 Конституции РФ).   c. Justice in the Russian Federation shall be administered by courts alone. 4. Конституционный Суд Российской Федерации по жалобам на нарушение конституционных прав и свобод граждан и по запросам судов проверяет конституционность закона, примененного или подлежащего применению в конкретном деле, в порядке, установленном федеральным законом. (Статья 125 Конституции РФ). d. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation shall be the supreme judicial body for civil, criminal, administrative and other cases under the jurisdiction of regular courts, shall carry out judicial supervision over their activities according to procedural forms envisaged in federal law and provide explanations on issues of court proceedings.   5. Верховный Суд Российской Федерации является высшим судебным органом по гражданским, уголовным, административным и иным делам, подсудным судам общей юрисдикции, осуществляет в предусмотренных федеральным законом процессуальных формах судебный надзор за их деятельностью и дает разъяснения по вопросам судебной практики. (Статья 126 Конституции РФ).     e. Examination of cases in all courts shall be open. Examinations in camera shall be allowed only in the cases envisaged by federal law.   6. Высший Арбитражный Суд Российской Федерации является высшим судебным органом по разрешению экономических споров и иных дел, рассматриваемых арбитражными судами, осуществляет в предусмотренных федеральным законом процессуальных формах судебный надзор за их деятельностью и дает разъяснения по вопросам судебной практики. (Статья 127 Конституции РФ).     f. Judges shall be independent and submit only to the Constitution and federal law.

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8. Is Montesquieu’s theory prescriptive or descriptive?

9. Is this theory a practical model of governing a country?

10. What is the essence of this theory?

 

 

The constitutional role of the judiciary is based on the theory of the separation of powers which was particularly developed by the French political scientist, Montesquieu. He wrote: “When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty… Again, there is no liberty, if judiciary power be not separated from the legislative and executive. Were it joined with the legislative, the life and liberty of the subject would be exposed to arbitrary control; for the judge would then be the legislator. Where it joined to the executive, however, the judge might behave with violence and oppression. There would be an end to everything, were the same man, or the same body, whether of the nobles or the people, to exercise those three powers, that of enacting laws, that of executing the public resolutions, and of trying the causes of individuals”. (Montesquieu, De l’Espirit des Lois, 1748).