ST. PETERSBURG, March 21 - RAPSI. The Constitutional Court of Russia in a statement issued on Thursday outlined the terms for the early dismissal of contract soldiers for breaching their service contracts, including for disciplinary action and criminal liability incurred, the court told RIA Novosti.

The court was looking into the validity of Article 51 of the federal law On Conscription and Military Service following complaints from former soldiers who were discharged for breaching their contracts.

The court ruled that the article in dispute allows personnel to be dismissed as a result of disciplinary action.

"The article in dispute which sets out the grounds for pre-term discharge from service has been found constitutional, since it stipulates that the dismissal is the result of a number of disciplinary or criminal offenses that are incompatible with remaining in the service, something which must be proved by the results of an appraisal," the court statement says.

Additionally, the court's press service notes that the article was found to contradict the Constitution only in so far as it allows a soldier to be discharged from service as a result of a criminal offense or regular disciplinary offenses regardless of the time passed since the verdict was announced or the last disciplinary action was issued.

"The Constitutional Court has requested the authors of the legislation to define the period of limitation for dismissal," the press service said.