Law & Legislation

Religious organizations skeptical of increased government regulation

A bill to revise the procedures governing the work of religious organizations has been submitted to the State Duma. According to the bill, the clergy should be required to receive specialized educational certificates, and religious organizations should sign employment contracts with their personnel, who in turn should be able to form trade unions.

12:27 22.10.2012

State Duma to consider bill on monitoring officials' expenses on October 26

The second reading of a bill to introduce control over officials' income and expenses will be held on October 26, head of the United Russia faction Andrei Vorobyov told RIA Novosti.

11:27 22.10.2012

Drunk driving fines in Russia may reach $32k

People who drive under the influence of alcohol should be subject to a heavy fine of up to 1 million rubles ($32,340) in major cities, says First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.

10:42 22.10.2012

Government endorses bill severely restricting tobacco use and sales

The government of Russian Federation has approved without objections a bill prohibiting smoking in public places. Meanwhile, Russia is still the number-one tobacco consumer in the world.

16:13 18.10.2012

Duma supports amendments on compensation for unlawful court judgments

On Wednesday the State Duma adopted a bill in the first reading which will introduce a procedure for state compensation for harm caused by unfounded or unlawful court judgments in private prosecution cases. The bill also stipulates procedural requirements for opening a criminal case on public charges against a judge.

12:06 18.10.2012

UK parliamentary committee calls on Cabinet to publish Magnitsky list

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has advised the government to publish the names of those who are barred from entering the United Kingdom for their involvement in the death of Hermitage Capital Fund lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

11:25 18.10.2012

Russia agrees to expedite visa issuance for EU patients at Russian clinics

Russia has agreed to expedite the issuance of visas to EU citizens undergoing medical treatment at its clinics, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting on hi-tech medical aid development on Wednesday.

18:14 17.10.2012

Watchdog yet to find experts to supervise harmful information law

The observance of a law aimed at protecting children from harmful information has thus far taken place without the assistance of experts, who remain to be appointed by the Federal Service for Telecom.

16:05 17.10.2012

Medvedev instructs Justice Ministry to draw up probation bill

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has instructed the Justice Ministry, together with other agencies, to develop a bill for adopting a probation system in Russia.

14:09 17.10.2012

Putin passes a law banning courts from going easy on hardened criminals

President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into a law prohibiting courts from handing down conditional sentences to habitual criminals, pedophiles and individuals convicted for serious crimes.

13:48 17.10.2012

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