Introduction
This guide is intended for those interested in the law and legal system of Russia. It contains sources and commentary for Russian law such as ebooks, journals and databases.
Databases and journals
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HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
HeinOnline is Hein’s premier online research product with more than 100 million pages of legal history available in an online, fully-searchable, image-based format. HeinOnline provides comprehensive coverage of more than 1,800 law and law-related periodicals.
In addition to its vast collection of law journals, HeinOnline also contains the Congressional Record Bound volumes in entirety, complete coverage of the U.S. Reports back to 1754, famous world trials dating back to the early 1700′s, legal classics from the 16th to the 20th centuries, the United Nations and League of Nations Treaty Series, all United States Treaties, the Federal Register from inception in 1936, the CFR from inception in 1938, and much more.
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Practical law This link opens in a new window
Practical Law is a leading provider of legal know-how, transactional analysis and market intelligence for business lawyers. Resources include legal updates, practice notes, standard documents and clauses with drafting notes, expert opinion and multi-jurisdictional guides written by leading lawyers.
Here are some suggestions. To search across our collections, please use LibrarySearch.
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Russian Politics
Russian Politics (RUPO) is an international, peer-reviewed journal examining the scholarship of intersections between on the one hand, Russian studies, and on the other hand Politics, Law, Economics and Russian history. -
RUDN Journal of Law
RUDN Journal of Law is a scientific periodical devoted to fundamental and sectoral studies in the field of law.
The journal publishes materials that satisfy the requirements of scientific novelty and relevance – scientific articles, review articles, analytical reviews of modern legislation, both in Russia and abroad, reviews of monographs. -
BRICS Law Journal
The BRICS Law Journal serves as a platform for comparative research and legal development not only in and among the BRICS countries themselves but, more importantly, also between the BRICS countries and other countries across the globe. Additionally, the Journal provides an open forum for legal scholars and practitioners to reflect on issues of international significance that are relevant to the BRICS countries. -
Europe-Asia studies
Europe-Asia Studies is the principal academic journal in the world focusing on the history and current political, social and economic affairs of the countries of the former 'communist bloc' of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Asia. At the same time, the journal explores the economic, political and social transformation of these countries and the changing character of their relationships with the rest of Europe and Asia. -
Moscow Journal of International Law
Moscow Journal of International Law, formerly the Soviet Journal of International Law, established in 1991, is published by the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. The Journal publishes scholarship on diverse issues ranging from issues of theory of international law, legal problems of international security, questions of international humanitarian law, space law, air law, diplomatic and consular law, international maritime law, law of international treaties, to correlation between international and national law.
Books
Here are some suggestions. To search across our collections, please use LibrarySearch.
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The Constitution of the Russian Federation
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'[The] scholarship is consistently thorough and lucid, and absolutely reliable' European Public Law As reviews of the first edition attest, this book gives a unique critical and contextual insight into the Constitution of one the world's most powerful countries. Its first edition was published in 2011, when Dmitrii Medvedev was Russia's President. Since then there was a regime change in 2012 as Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency, and, significantly, dramatic shifts in constitutionality as Russia pursues a 'return to traditional values'. The book explores the Constitution's evolution over its nearly 30 years' existence, including the significant amendments of 2020. This second edition situates these important changes in the context of Russia's historical and legal development, as Putin continues to dominate the political scene. It also looks at broader constitutional questions on the interrelation between the main State agencies, the role of the courts, human rights and their enforcement.
ISBN: 9781509961917Publication Date: 2023 -
The Foundations of Russian Law
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This accessible text explains how Russian law works in all its principal areas. It elucidates the main concepts and frameworks behind Russian law, and uses original legal sources and case law to explain how it operates in practice. The contributors, all of whom are leading experts on Russian law, employ original research to further knowledge of the Russian legal profession, legal culture, judiciary and court systems, providing a scholarly and practical account of Russian law for students and scholars alike. It is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the subject.
ISBN: 9781782256489Publication Date: 2023 -
The Judicial System of Russia
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The Judicial System of Russia paints a portrait of the courts of the Russian Federation under Putin, how they work in practice, and what shapes the behaviour of its judges. It stresses the dual nature of a judicial system, where ordinary cases are for the most part handled fairly, but where cases of interest to powerful persons are subject to influence--a common situation in authoritarian states. In so doing, the authors trace the origins of some contemporary practices to the Soviet past, but also identify novelties. They pay close attention to the struggles of reformers to make the courts fairer and more efficient, along with the measures taken to ensure that judges conform to the expectations of their political masters. This means dealing with the evolution of judicial governance, including the selection, promotion, and disciplining of judges.In studying the actual operation of the courts, the authors take a socio-legal approach, emphasizing how different players (petitioners, respondents, lawyers, prosecutors, accused, judges) behave and why. This means dealing with the full gamut of courts from justices of the peace through the Supreme and Constitutional Courts and analysing their conduct in ordinary civil disputes, criminal cases, business disputes, administrative justice (claims against state officials), and constitutional matters. The authors also examine the relation of the public to the courts, including its readiness to litigate disputes despite generally negative views of the courts. This analysis of the administration of justice in Russia covers both the Constitutional Amendments of 2020 and developments relating to the first months of the 2022 War in Ukraine. It is a must read for academics, practitioners, and all those with an interest in comparative courts and Russia's judicial system.
ISBN: 9780192895356Publication Date: 2024 -
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The Growth of the Law in Medieval Russia
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By examining the growth of legal institutions and concepts in Russia from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, Daniel Kaiser shows how the process of legal change reflects a gradual transformation of the political life, social relations, and accepted values of a traditional society. Originally published in 1981. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
ISBN: 1400855594Publication Date: 2014 -
A History of Russian Law
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The beginnings of Russian law are documented by the Russo-Byzantine treaties of the 10th century and the oldest Russian law, the Russkaia Pravda. The tempestuous developments of the following centuries (the incessant wars among the princes, the Mongol invasion, the rise of the Novgorod republic) all left their marks on the legal system until the princes of Muscovy succeeded in reuniting the country. This resulted in the creation of major legislative monuments, such as the Codes of Ivan the Great of 1497 and of Ivan the Terrible of 1550. After the Time of Troubles the Council Code of the second Romanov Tsar, Aleksei, of 1649 became the starting point for the comprehensive Russian codification of the 19th century.
ISBN: 9004346422Publication Date: 2017 -
The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History
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The Oxford International Encyclopedia of Legal History is a comprehensive, international, interdisciplinary reference work that includes approximately 1,000 articles on all aspects of legal history throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Articles deal with private law, public law, and constitutional/higher law throughout the world and are written and signed by one of the many noteworthy contributors, which include major scholars and experts. For years, scholars have been investigating the remote origins of their respective national and religious law. Only recently has there been a developing interest in and study of the history of law in modern times. This encyclopedia will bring together the study of ancient law with the study of modern law-examining statutes and administrative rulings as well as judicial decisions, legislatures, agencies, and courts. The Encyclopedia will cover ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern law in eight legal traditions and geographical/cultural areas: Ancient Greek Law, Ancient Roman Law, Chinese Law, English Common Law, Islamic Law, Medieval Roman Law, United States Law, and law in other regions (Africa, Latin America, and South Asia among them). It will address major categories of law within these traditions, including private law (contract, tort, civil procedure), varieties of public law (criminal law, administrative law, statutory law), and higher law/ constitutional law. It will be the first encyclopedia of law to provide historical and contemporary comparisons of world legal systems.
ISBN: 9780195134056Publication Date: 2009
These are just a few suggestions. To search across our collections, please use LibrarySearch.
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Freedom of Expression and the Law in Russia
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This book discusses how Russia's legal system restricts freedom of expression. As the author analyses legal amendments restricting the free flow of information since 2012, she draws upon Akerlof's framework of "Asymmetrical information" and Luhmann's "System Theory" to show how these amendments have deprived citizens of the opportunity to voice criticisms, influence public affairs, or take collective action against decision-makers. Among the innovations are the establishment of a "President Emeritus" institution and the introduction of laws through legislative processes already on hold - something we call "legislation through winter preservatives." The author provides a nuanced understanding of these and other processes that limit the free flow of information while simultaneously exploring the reasons why Russia's regime still endures. The volume will be of interest to scholars and students of law, political science, international law, area studies, development studies, peace research, comparative politics/comparative area studies, citizenship studies, communication studies, social movements, and international organisations. Experts working with Russia in international organisations and the media will also find this systematic analysis of the transformation of Russian legislation and its consequences invaluable. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC) 4.0 license. Open Access has been funded by Åbo Akademi University.
ISBN: 9781032613369Publication Date: 2025 -
Immigration and Refugee Law in Russia
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Immigration and Refugee Law in Russia confronts the issue of access to justice and the realisation of human rights for migrants and refugees in Russia. It focuses on everyday experiences of immigration and refugee laws and how they work 'in action' in Russia. This investigation presupposes that the reality is much more complex than is generally assumed, as it is mediated by peoples' varied positionalities. Agnieszka Kubal's primary focus is on people, their stories and experiences: migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, immigration lawyers, Russian judges, and the Federal Migration Service officers. These actors speak with different voices, profess different ideologies, and hold opposite worldviews; what they hold in common is their importance to our understanding of migration processes. By this focus on individual views and opinions, Kubal highlights the complexity and nuance of everyday experiences of the law, breaking away from the portrayal of Russia as a legal and ideological monolith.
ISBN: 9781108417891Publication Date: 2019 -
International Law in the Russian Legal System
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This addition to the Elements of International Law series explores the role of international law as an integral part of the Russian legal system, with particular reference to the role of international treaties and of generally-recognized principles and norms of international law. Following a discussion of the historical place of treaties in Russian legal history and the sources of the Russian law of treaties, the book strikes new ground in exploring contemporary treaty-making in the Russian Federation by drawing upon sources not believed to have been previously used in Russian or western doctrinal writings. Special attention is devoted to investment protection treaties. The importance of publishing treaties as a condition of their application by Russian courts is explored. For the first time a detailed account is given of the constitutional history of treaty ratification in Russia, the outcome being that present constitutional practice is inconsistent with the drafting history of the relevant constitutional provisions. The volume gives attention to the role of the Russian Supreme Court in developing treaty practice through the issuance of "guiding documents" binding on lower courts, the reaction of the Russian Constitutional Court to judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, and the place of treaties as an integral part of the Russian legal system. Butler further explores the hierarchy of sources of law, together with other facets of Russian arbitral and judicial practice with respect to treaties and other sources of international law. He concludes with a consideration of the 'generally-recognized principles and norms of international law' and their role as part of the Russian system.
ISBN: 9780198842958Publication Date: 2020 -
The Rule of Law and Economic Reform in Russia
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What impact has Russia's chosen path of reform had on the development of law after the collapse of the communist regime? This collection of essays examines how Russia's distinctive traditions of law-and lawlessness-are shaping the current struggle for economic reform in the country. Nine renowned scholars, chosen from specialties in history, politi
ISBN: 9780429964428Publication Date: 2018 -
Contract Law in Russia
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The book explains Russian contract law in a form understandable to lawyers qualified in other countries, especially common law countries. The introduction gives a concise overview of the Russian legal system in general and contract law in particular as well as a brief insight into the history of contract law in Russia. Then the main concepts of Russian contract law are explained, using the conceptual framework of English contract law to make them accessible to someone not familiar with the codified Russian system.The book not only considers the legislation regulating Russian contractual relations but also includes appropriate case law to show how the legislation is interpreted. The focus is on contract law in Russia as it actually operates, rather than merely the legislative texts, so that it will be directly relevant to legal practitioners and others who wish to acquire knowledge of the practical application of an important element of the Russian legal system, as well as those seeking an insight into the realities of codified law in action. The target readership therefore includes legal practitioners who have to deal with Russian law, academics and students with an interest in Russian law, the law of contract and comparative civil law, as well as scholars of comparative legal systems and Russian area studies.
ISBN: 9781849462990Publication Date: 2014
Websites
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ConsultantPlusConsultant Plus is the largest (mainly fee-based) legislation and court decisions data bank available in Russia. New documents are added into the database daily. There is free on-line access to approximately 700,000 documents in Russian language from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on weekdays (Moscow time) and at any time during weekends through the non-commercial version of their database, linked here.