On December 3, a draft law entitled “On Measures to Protect the National Economy and to Limit Activities of Legal Entities and Citizens of Aggressor States in the Russian Federation” was submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina believes that if this law is passed, the consequences for Russia could be disastrous.
In late September, the Russian Constitutional Court upheld a law banning gay propaganda, emphasizing that the ban is aimed at “protecting such constitutional values as family and childhood.” IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the background of this issue in Russia and the motives behind the Constitutional Court’s ruling.
Since September, deputies’ signatures have been being collected in the State Duma to remove from the Russian Constitution the ban on state ideology and the principle of priority of international law over domestic legislation. Higher School of Economics professor and constitutional law specialist Juliana Demesheva reviews the suggested legislation.
In early September, Russia’s Supreme Arbitration Court was dissolved and the judicial matters previously under its authority were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. However, this reform uncovered various problems, the most pressing of which concerns personnel. IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina offers insight into yet another stage of Russian judicial reform.
In late June, rock musician Marilyn Manson, known for his flamboyant onstage persona, was supposed to take part in a rock festival in Moscow. The concert, however, was canceled due to an alleged bomb threat. His second scheduled concert in Novosibirsk was canceled at the demand of Orthodox Christian activists. IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina and Skyline High School (Ann Arbor, MI) junior Alice Nikitinskaya draw parallels between this incident and the Pussy Riot case.
In early June, the Prosecutor General’s Office published a draft law “On Amendments to the Legislation of the Russian Federation to Strengthen Responsibility for Corruption.” IMR legal expert Ekaterina Mishina analyzes the proposed changes.
Over the last few months, the Russian State Duma has been seriously involved in constitutional construction, working on the creation of new principles for forming the Federation Council, Russia’s second house of Parliament. Constitutional law expert and professor at the Higher School of Economics Juliana Demesheva analyzes the proposed changes from the point of view of their conformity with the principle of separation of powers.
The referendum that was held on the Crimea joining Russia, as well as the referenda on establishing Donetsk and Luhansk as “people’s republics,” raises the critical issue of the legitimacy of such separatist popular votes. Constitutional law expert and professor at the Higher School of Economics Juliana Demesheva explains the concept of a referendum and clarifies which referenda can be considered legitimate.
On April 8, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation recognized as constitutional the 2012 amendments to the federal laws “On non-commercial organizations” and “On public associations”—the notorious “law on foreign agents.” IMR advisor Ekaterina Mishina comments on the ruling of the Constitutional Court and the court’s legal stance with regard to these amendments.
On March 31, 2014, Deputy Andrei Lugovoy, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, introduced a bill to the State Duma making the failure to provide information about foreign citizenship (nationality) to immigration authorities a criminally liable offense. IMR Advisor Ekaterina Mishina analyzes this bill and comments on Russia’s history of parliamentary attempts to criminalize dual citizenship.
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