The Structure of Russian Courts (Part II)

2. REGIONAL COURTS

2.1 Constitutional Courts (or Charter Courts) of the Subjects of the Russian Federation with the jurisdiction to interpret Regional Constitutions and Charters and decide whether local statutes are consistent with Regional Constitutions and Charters.

Courts of General Jurisdiction

2.2 Courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation

These include the Supreme Courts of the Republics, the highest Courts of each Region, the Moscow and Saint-Petersburg City Courts, and the courts of autonomous districts. Courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation serve as courts of cassation and extraordinary appeal (nadzor — supervisory review) from their subordinate district courts. Their original jurisdiction constitutes challenges to normative laws and regulations of the regional authorities, and adoption of regulations.

2.3 There are district courts located in the country’s smaller towns and rural administrative areas including groups of villages; major cities have several such courts. District courts are the basis of the system of courts of general jurisdiction, with jurisdiction over the overwhelming majority of civil and criminal cases, unless otherwise provided by law. As courts of appeal, district courts decide appeals from justices of the peace.

2.4 Justices of the peace form an integral part of the system of courts of general jurisdiction, although they are considered to be regional judges. Justices of the peace are professional judges, with the same status and responsibilities as other federal judges, although on lower salaries. They handle small civil disputes, petty administrative and criminal offences. Appeals against decisions of justices of the peace go to district courts, the decisions of which are final. In each district there may be several justices of the peace.

Arbitration Courts (commercial courts)

2.5 The ten Federal District Arbitration Courts act as court of cassation only.

2.6 The Appellate Courts consider appeals as a re-hearing with new evidence (unlike a cassation proceeding, which is limited to a review of the law).

2.7 The Arbitration Courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation consider the absolute majority of commercial disputes.

Questions to Part II

1. What is the jurisdiction of Constitutional Courts (or Charter Courts) of the Subjects of the Russian Federation?

2. What courts is the three-tiered system of courts of general jurisdiction at the regional level consist of?

3. What disputes do Courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation handle?

4. What disputes do district courts handle?

5. What disputes do justices of the peace handle?

6. What courts is the three-tiered system of arbitration courts at the regional level consist of? What are the jurisdictions of all?

4. Вспомните информацию из текста 1 (части 1 и 2). Объедините предложения так, чтобы получились связные высказывания.

The present Russian judicial system reflects Courts are divided into The Constitutional Court is The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has jurisdiction Regulations enacted by the Plenum Military courts consider The system of general jurisdiction courts at regional level includes There is four-tiered system of arbitration courts: The Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation operates

a. are “explanations on issues of judicial practice”. b. the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation, ten Federal District Arbitration Courts, Appellate Courts, the Arbitration Courts of the subjects of the Russian Federation. c. the supreme judicial body of four-tiered system of courts of general jurisdiction. d. disputes involving military personnel. e. as the supreme body in the arbitration court system. f. as a court of cassation in the land and as a court of supervisory instance over the courts of lower level. g. the State’s administrative structure. h. the highest judicial body in the Russian Federation. j. federal courts and courts subjects of Russia. k. justices of the peace, district courts, the supreme courts of the republics, city courts of Moscow and St.-Petersburg, courts of autonomous, military courts.

5. Объедините информацию из двух частей текста 1 и заполните схему, отражающую систему судов в России.