The Russian Court System

The Russian court system is composed of three independent parts. They are

(1) the Courts of General Jurisdiction;

(2) the Arbitrazh (or Commercial) Courts;

(3) the Russian Federation Constitutional Courts.

The Courts of General Jurisdiction include Justices of peace, District courts, Regional courts and the Supreme Court as the highest judicial body within the courts of general jurisdiction.

Justices of peace resolve small claims at the local level.

District (rayon) courts 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 criminal and civil cases.

Regional (oblast) courts serve as trial courts in more serious crimes and civil matters, and as appellate courts reviewing district court’s judgments. 

The Supreme Court hears civil, administrative, criminal, and other cases by way of supervision and for newly discovered circumstances.  The Supreme Court may issue explanations on questions concerning to judicial practice.

The military courts are included into the system of courts of general jurisdiction. They form a three tier system organized under the territorial principle and include garrison, district (navy) courts and the Military Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

The Commercial Courts adjudicate commercial and economic disputes between business entities. These courts are organized at the level of constituent components of the Russian Federation.

The Russian Federation Constitutional Court adjudicates matters governed by the Russian Federation Constitution. Rulings of the Constitutional Court are binding and final. Some subjects of the Russian Federation may adopt their own "subject" constitutions, and that’s why, they have their own "subject" constitutional courts. 

Ex. 34 What part of speech are the underlined words? Translate these words and sentences that contain them.

Ex.35 Find in the text all the derivatives from the words “ to supervise ”, “ to explain”, “to decide” , “ to organize”, “to operate” , “to open”, “to comply”, “valid” and translate them into Russian.

Ex. 36. Find a word or a phrase in the text which is similar in the meaning to the following: subjects, judicial body, court decision, level, court of 1^st instance, obligatory, civil cases

Ex.37.Say if these statements are true or false.

1. There are two main groups of courts in the Russian court system.

2. Justices of the peace form an integral part of the system of the Commercial Courts.

3. The Supreme Court of the RF issues explanations on questions of court practice.

4. The Commercial Courts are formed at the level of subjects of the Russian Federation.

5. The decisions of the RF Constitutional Court are binding to all the courts of the Russian Federation.

Ex. 38. Match the courts of general jurisdiction and the cases they can try. Describe the functions of these courts.

name of the court	cases
court of justices of the peace	the majority of criminal and civil cases
district court	civil, administrative, criminal, and other cases by way of supervision and for newly discovered circumstances
regional court	military cases
Supreme court	more serious crimes and civil matters + review of the lower court’s judgments
military courts	small claims at the local level

EX. 39. Fill in the box with the appropriate information from the text “The Russian Court System”

COURT SYSTEM OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Part of the court system	Competence of the court
courts of the general jurisdiction
Commercial Courts
the Russian Federation Constitutional Courts

EX.40. Choose the suitable word and translate the sentences into Russian:

1. The Russian judicial system (consists, includes) of the Constitutional Court, the courts of the general jurisdiction, and the State commercial courts.

2. The Constitutional Court (interprets, adopts) the constitution and (resolves, solves) issues related to the compliance of laws and regulations within the constitution.

3. The courts of general jurisdiction (hear, listen) criminal cases and (resolve, review) civil and administrative disputes.

4. Disputes regarding business activity are (heard, governed) before the State Commercial courts.

EX.41 a) Scan the text and fill in the table below.

JUDGES

The Constitution provides* that a Russian citizen over the age of 25, who has had a higher legal education and experience in the legal profession for a minimum of 5 years may become a judge (Art.119). The Law on the Status of Judges provides for more details.

Judge of the Constitutional Court – 40 years of age and experience of working in legal profession for no less than 15 years;

Judges of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Commercial Court of the Russian Federation – 35 years of age and experience of working in legal profession for no less than 10 years;

Judges of the courts of the constituent entities and the Federal Territorial Commercial Courts – 30 years of age and experience of working in legal profession for no less than 7 years;

Judges of the commercial courts of the constituent entities – 25 years of age and experience of working in legal profession for no less than 5 years.

*to provide предусматривать

Court	age	experience