Law & Legislation

Putin approves new order to form upper house

President Vladimir Putin has approved a new order to form the parliament's upper house. The corresponding document was published on Tuesday on the government's official legal website.

15:46 04.12.2012

Prisoners granted right to request mitigation of their punishment

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law granting prisoners the right to request mitigation of their punishment themselves.

10:17 04.12.2012

Restrictions over foreign goods in state orders may be set in law

The State Duma and the Civic Chamber are planning consolidate the priority of Russian goods over imported goods in legislation when making purchases for state agencies.

12:44 03.12.2012

Bill introduced urging reentry ban for visa term violations in Russia

The government has submitted a bill to the State Duma establishing a three-year ban on foreign visa holders who fail to adhere to the terms of their visa, for example, by staying beyond the term set in the visa and thus violating the rules for entering the country.

13:47 30.11.2012

Federal officials to get extended social guarantees

A government bill has been submitted to the State Duma on the social guarantees for employees of a number of federal executive authorities.

12:39 30.11.2012

Disputes over formulations delay examination of Magnitsky list bill in US

The U.S. Senate's consideration of the bill on Magnitsky list has been delayed by ongoing disputes among senators regarding the phrasing of one sentence in the document. On November 16, an overwhelming majority of U.S. House representatives voted in favor of passing the "Magnitsky Act", punishing Russian officials deemed to have violated human rights.

15:15 29.11.2012

Federation Council approves scavenger oil benefits bill

The Federation Council has approved on Wednesday a law on benefits for scavenger oil deposits. The document drafted by the Energy Ministry stipulates the use of export customs duties amounting to 10 percent of the ordinary export rate in relation to scavenger oil.

16:45 28.11.2012

Russian anti-tobacco bill may be approved by State Duma after New Year

The anti-tobacco bill may be adopted in the first reading by the State Duma after the New Year as opposed to in December. The Duma decided to closely consider the anti-tobacco bill in accordance with regulatory standards, so that the Constitutional Court will not be able to cancel the decision in the future.

16:25 28.11.2012

Russian senators beef up law on the crime of fraud

The Federation Council has approved a law, providing further detail into the Criminal Code article on "fraud," and banning the possibility to initiate criminal cases under the article without first receiving a complaint from the defendant.

14:39 28.11.2012

Procedure for organ donation in Russia may be simplified

A bill will shortly be submitted to the State Duma stipulating that every Russian citizen will automatically become an organ donor after their death if no refusal was made during their lifetime.

11:43 28.11.2012

Top news

Russian courts allowed not to implement rulings of Europe's human rights court

Russia's Supreme Court proposed not to implement rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR).

12:53 09.12.2025

Redomiciliation stalls: How sanctions are shaping new practices for Russian companies

The mechanism for redomiciliating foreign companies to Russian jurisdiction, in effect since 2018, has recently encountered serious obstacles. Taking into account the background of sanctions-related restrictions introduced in 2022 through 2025, it has become extremely difficult to achieve the goal. The situation gave rise to the phenomenon of dual domicile and led to a rise in the number of new litigations, both in Russia and abroad.

12:32 09.12.2025

Soldiers jailed for killing US journalist Russell Bentley

A military court in Donetsk sentenced three soldiers to up to 12 years in prison for torturing and killing Russell Bentley, a 63-year-old U.S. national who collaborated with Sputnik news agency.

14:05 08.12.2025