Russian President signed the Law on establishment of the renewed Supreme Court of the Russian Federation
According to the official website of the President of the Russian Federation kremlin.ru, on February 6, 2014 Vladimir Putin signed a number of laws on merging the two higher courts - the Supreme Court and the Supreme Arbitrazh Court of the Russian Federation.
Enactment of three laws - the Law of the Russian Federation on the amendment to the Constitution “On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and on the Prosecutor Office of the Russian Federation”, the Federal Constitutional Law “On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation” and the Federal Constitutional Law “On the Judicial System of the Russian Federation” – completes the process of formation of the newly created Supreme Court of the Russian Federation as one of the highest judicial body for civil, criminal and administrative cases, for economic disputes and for other cases fell within jurisdiction of the courts, created under the federal constitutional law. New Supreme Court will give explanations on judicial practice, and most importantly, will exercise judicial supervision over the activities of both -courts of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts. Thus, the New Supreme Court of the Russian Federation will not apply to the system of courts of general jurisdiction, and therefore the respective amendments are being introduced to regulations establishing the list of federal courts.
Supreme Arbitration Court is being abolished, and issues of justice execution related to its authority, has been transferred to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Federal constitutional Law “On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation” provides authorities, rules of establishment and operation of the new Supreme Court; the Law also resolves questions about functions of the “former” Supreme Court and the Supreme Arbitrazh Court within the transitional period, which will last for 6 months.
According to the texts of the Laws, the newly created Supreme Court will consist of 170 judges. The Laws also provide establishment of the Judges Board on Economic Disputes of the Supreme Court. Moreover, the Judicial Board on Military Service Cases of the Supreme Court to be created instead of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court, and the Disciplinary Tribunal to be replaced by the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court as a judicial board of the Supreme Court.
Federal constitutional Law “On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation” and Federal constitutional Law “On the Judicial System of the Russian Federation” will come into force 180 days after the date of entry into force of the Law of the Russian Federation on the amendment to the Constitution “On the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Prosecutor Office of the Russian Federation”, which come into force from the date of its official publication. A number of provisions relating to the composition and formation of personnel of the Supreme Court shall come into force at the date of adoption of the Law of the Russian Federation on the amendment to the Constitution. Provisions concerning incentive for judges, terminating their powers earlier following the merger, shall come into force from February 15, 2014.
