Features – Material on Russian Federation Law in English: Selection of Sources

Lucy Cox is Reference and the Foreign/International Law Librarian at Rutgers University Law Library at Camden. She has an M.LS. Degree from Drexel University, and a Ph.D. in Russian language and literature from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the translator of Part I (pp. 3-425), of the book, Soviet Civil Law (ed. O.N. Sadikov, 1988). She has written book reviews on Soviet law and has given presentations on sources of Soviet law at conventions of the American Library Association, the American Association for Slavic Studies, and the Mid-Atlantic Slavic Association.


Table of Contents

Research and Bibliographic Guides
Legal Dictionaries
Texts: Overview and Background
Compilations of Translated Legal Material (General)
Journals
Constitutional Law
Important Codes
Courts
Commercial Law
Treatises/Guides/Current Awareness
Compilations of laws on Business
Arbitration (International)
Bankruptcy
Company Law
Joint Stock Companies
Monopoly
Privatization
Criminal Law
Human Rights
Intellectual Property Law
International Law
Property Law
Web Sources

Research and Bibliographic Guides

Kavass, Igor I. Law in Russia and the Other Post-Soviet Republics: A Bibliographic Survey of English Language and Literature 1992-1995. Sequel to Soviet Law in English, Gorbachev’s Law, and Demise of the Soviet Union. Buffalo, N.Y: William S. Hein & Co., 1997.
Extensive, thorough compilation of books, articles from law reviews and other journals. Access by author or subject.
Reynolds, Thomas H. and Arturo A Flores. Foreign Law: Current Sources of Codes and Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World. Littleton, CO: Fred B. Rothman & Co., 1989- . (Looseleaf).
Good starting point for research in Russian law. Provides historical background of legal system. Provides citations to major sources of law in Russian publications, but also gives copious citations to English translations if they exist. Also available on CD-ROM and fee-based on the Internet.
Bulletin of Current Research in East European Law. United States: s.n., 1972-. 3 times a year.
Published at the University of Toronto, Centre for Russian and East European Studies, beginning with vol. 11, no.3. Valuable source for coverage of current publications. Lists books, book reviews, articles from law reviews and other legal and related journals, announcements of conferences and of other news of interest to those involved in East European law. One section in each issue is devoted to listing English translations of legislation and court decisions.

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Legal Dictionaries

Russian-English

Baskakova, M.A. Tolkovyi iuridicheskii slovar’ biznesmena: russko-angliiskii, anglo-russkii – Legal Dictionary for Businessmen: Russian-English, English-Russian. 6th ed., rev. and exp. Moscow: “Finansy i statistika”, 1994.
Borysenko, I.I. and V.V. Saenko. Russko-angliiskii iuridicheskii slovar’: 22,000 terminov. Kiev: Iurinkom Inter, 1999.
Business Dictionary: Russian-English-Russko-angliiskii biznes slovar’. Moscow: International Pub. in cooperation with L&H Pub.Co.; Copenhagen: 1999.
Butler, William E. Russko-angliiskii iuridicheskii slovar’. Moscow: Zertaslo; London: Simmonds & Hill, 1995.
Butler, William E. Russian-English Legal Dictionary and Bibliographic Sources for Russian Law in English. Ardsley, N.Y: Transnational Pub., 2001.
Revised and expanded version of 1995 book listed above.
DeBeer, Shane R. Dictionary of Business and Legal Terms: Russian-English/English-Russian. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1995.

English-Russian

Andrianov, S.N., A.S. Berson, and A.S. Nikiforov. Anglo-russkii iuridicheskii slovar’. Moscow: “Russkii iazyk”, Izd. Firma “REIA,” 1993.
Braun, Marina and Galina Clothier. English-Russian Dictionary of American Criminal Law. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.
Komandin, G.A. Anglo-russkii iuridicheskii slovar’. Moskva: TOO “SKL, LTD.”, 1993.
Mamulian, A.S. and S. IU. Kashkin. Anglo-russkii polnyi iuridicheskii slovar’- English-Russian Comprehensive Law Dictionary. Moscow: Sovetnik, 1993.

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Texts: Overview and Background

Butler, William E. Russian Law. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Comprehensive textbook. Part I. Legal Setting. Part II. The Legal System. Part III. Substantive Law. Part IV. The Law and Foreign Relations. Part V. Resource Material. Also includes tables of legislative acts and of treaties.
Danilenko, Gennadii M. and William Burnham. Law and Legal System of the Russian Federation. Yonkers, N.Y.: Juris Publishing, 1999.
Comprehensive textbook. Covers all aspects of Russian law. Also includes excerpts from court cases and study questions.
Ginsburgs, George, Donald D. Barry, and William B. Simons, eds. The Revival of Private Law in Central and Eastern Europe: Essays in Honour of Ferdinand J.M. Feldbrugge. Dordrecht: M. Nijhoff, 1996.
Includes articles on Property, Environmental law, Tort, Inheritance, Secured transactions, Lease, and International law of the Russian Federation.
Risnes, Brynjulf, ed. The Legal Foundations of the New Russia. Oslo: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, 1998.
Includes articles on the Constitutional Court, Electoral Process, Federalism, and Citizens’ complaints against public bodies.

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Compilations of Translated Material (General)

Butler, William E., and Jane Henderson. Russian Legal Texts. The Foundations of a Rule-of-Law State and a Market Economy. London: Simmonds & Hill; Boston; The Hague: Kluwer International, 1998.
Contains legislation under these headings: Foundations of Federation; Rights of an and Citizens; The Judicial System and Other Tribunals; The Legal Profession; Instruments of a Market Economy; Foreign Relations Law. Some of the laws included are: 1998 Constitutional law On the Arbitrazh Courts; 1995 Law On the Procuracy; Family Code of the Russian Federation (1995); Criminal code of the Russian Federation (1996); etc.
Russia and the Republics: Basic Legal Texts. Vratislav Pechota, general ed. Ardsley-on-Hudson: Transnational Juris, 1991-. (Looseleaf).
8 vols. Russian Federation takes up 3 vols. Frequent updates. Includes useful introductory notes on salient features of specific laws. Legislation grouped under headings: Constitutional law, Civil law, Commercial law, Corporate law, Foreign Investment. Some of the specific laws included are: 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations; 1998 Law on Leasing; 1995 Law on Joint Stock Companies; 1998 Law on Limited Liability Companies; 1999 Law on the Protection of Rights and Legitimate Interests of Investors in the Securities Market; etc. An additional volume is titled: Judicial and Arbitral Decisions. It covers cases dealing with issues of Russian law in the courts of various countries, including Canada, United Kingdom and the United States.

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Journals

General law journals provide a wealth of material on Russian law, and they may be searched in the standard indexes, Index to Legal Periodicals or Current Law Index. The listing below includes only journals or serials which deal specifically with Russia (or Eastern Europe including Russia). Besides articles and book reviews, some of the journals listed below provide translations of legislation and of court decisions. One of the journals is devoted exclusively to the translation of statutes and decisions.

East European Constitutional Review. Chicago, IL: Publ. by the Center for the Study of Constitutionalism in Eastern Europe at the University of Chicago Law School in partnership with the Central European University, 1992-.Quarterly.
Published by New York University School of Law and Central European University beginning with v.6, no. 4. Contains notes and articles providing overview on constitutional and other public law issues. Back issues available on the Internet at http://www.lawnyu.edu/eecr/.

Mezhdunarodnoe Pravo=International Law. Moscow. 1998-. One issue every 4 months.
Material is given in both Russian and English. Editorial board is drawn mainly from the Peoples Friendship University in Moscow.
Journal of East European Law. New York, N.Y: East European Law Center, Columbia University School of Law, 1999-.Quarterly.
Continues Parker School Journal of East European Law. Includes useful section titled: “Survey of East European Law”, which provides analytical commentaries on legal developments.
Parker School Journal of East European Law. New York, N.Y: Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law, Columbia University School of Law, 1994-1998. 6 issues per year, 1994-1997. Quarterly, 1998.
Post-Soviet Media Law and Policy Newsletter. New York, N.Y: 1993-. 10 issues per year.
Published by the Russian-American Press and Information Center , New York University Center for War, Peace, and the News Media and the Howard Squadron Program in Law, Media and Society at Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University.
Review of Central and East European Law. Dordrecht; Boston: M. Nijhoff, 1992-1998. 6 6 issues per year. 1999-. Quarterly.
Continues Review of Socialist Law. Published in Cooperation with the Institute of East European Law and Russian Studies at the University of Leiden. Frequently includes translations of legislation. Issues 19-22 contained a section titled “Russian Federation Legislative Survey”, which listed the most important legislation from June 12, 1990 through April 1995. Laws were indexed by subject, with official citations given.
Russian Politics and Law. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, 1992-. Bimonthly.
Translations from Russian-language sources.
SEEL: Survey of East European Law. Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y: Transnational Juris, 1991-. 10 issues per year.
Analytical articles on current legislation.
Statutes and Decisions: the Law of the USSR and its Successor States. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 1991-. Quarterly.
Continues Soviet Statutes and Decisions. This journal is devoted exclusively to translations. Individual issues, or more than one issue, include relevant translations of legislation, edicts, court decisions and other materials dealing with specific area of law.
Sudebnik. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1996-. Quarterly.
Published under auspices of the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences and of the Vinogradoff Institute, University College, London. This journal includes translations of recent legislation and court decrees as a regular feature in the section “Documents”. Some of the translated laws found in this journal are: Federal Constitutional Law On Arbitrazh Courts, 2, no.3 (1997): 28-757; Federal Law On Defence of the Rights and Legal Interests of Investors of the Securities Market, 4, no.1 (1999): 209-229; On Foreign Investments in the Russian Federation, 4, no. 1 (1999); Federal Law On State Regulation of Foreign Trade Activity, 1, no.2 (1996): 427-455; Federal Law On Joint Stock Societies, 1, no.1 (1996): 199-284; Law on the Organization of Insurance Affairs, 3, no.1 (1998): 173-187; Federal Law On International Treaties of the Russian Federation. 1, no.2 (1996): 456-486; Federal Constitutional Law On the Judicial System of the Russian Federation, 2, no.1 (1997): 217-237; On Mortgage (Pledge of Immovables), v. 3, no.3 (1998); Fundamental Principles of Legislation of the Russian Federation on the Notariat (1993), 2, no.4 (1997): 1005-1049; On the Peculiarities of the Legal Status of Joint- Stock Societies of Worker People’s Enterprises, 3, no.2 1998): 379-402; Law On Pledge, 1, no.3 (1996): 819-842.

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Constitutional Law

Texts of Constitution

For the constitution online, go to Web Sources in this paper.

Belyakov, Vladimir V., and Walter J. Raymond. Constitution of the Russian Federation: With Commentaries and Interpretations. Lawrenceville, VA: Brunswick Publishing Corp.; Moscow: Novosti, 1994.
Includes reference material on 1994 Duma, maps.
Constitution of the Russian Federation. Helsinki. Finnish Lawyers’ Publishing, 1994.
Text in English and Finnish.
Constitution of the Russian Federation. Moscow: Juridical Literature, 1994.
Text in Russian and English.
Tomanov, Vladimir, ed. Constitution of the Russian Federation: A Legal Interpretation. Bethesda, MD: Austin and Winfield, 1995.
Translations in English, French and German, as well as commentaries.
Constitutions of the Countries of the World. Edited by Gisbert H. Flanz. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana, 1971-.(Looseleaf).

Constitutional Issues

“Legal Reformation: New Institutions and New Principles. Elections: The Federal Assembly.” Statutes and Decisions. The Laws of the USSR and its Successor States. 32, no. 1(January-February 1996).
Special issue devoted to legislation and decrees related to elections. Includes text of Law On Elections of Deputies to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of 21 June 1995.
“The Development of Russian Federalism.” Statutes and Decisions: The Laws of the USSR and Its Successor States. 33, no.6 (Nov.-Dec.1997)-34, no.6 (Nov.-Dec. 1998).
These 7 issues include statutes and treaties dealing with the issue of federalism. For decisions of the Constitutional Court regarding federalism, see under Constitutional Court in this paper.

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Important Codes

Civil Code

Civil Code of the Russian Federation: Parts One and Two: Adopted by the State Duma on 21 October 1994 and 22 December 1995, as Amended 20 February and 12 August 1996. Translated by William E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill: Primrose Academy, 1997.
The Civil Code of the Russian Federation: Parts 1 and 2. Edited and Translated by Peter B. Maggs with A.N. Zhiltsov. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, 1997.
Russian Civil Legislation: The Civil Code (Parts One and Two) and Other Surviving Legislation of the Russian Federation. Edited, compiled, and translated by William E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill; The Hague; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1999.

Criminal Code

The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Translated by William E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1997.
The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. 3rd ed. Edited and translated by W.E. Butler. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1999.
“Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.” Statutes and Decisions: the Law of the USSR and its Successor States. 33, no.4 (July-August 1997)-33, no.5 (September-October 1997).
Translation of entire code in 2 successive issues of the journal.

Family Code

Russian Family Law: the Family Code of the Russian Federation and Federal Law on Acts of Civil Status. Edited and translated by William E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1998.

Labor Code

The Labour Code of the Russian Federation. Translated by William E. Butler. London: Interlist, 1993.

Tax Code

Tax Code of the Russian Federation: Part One, as Revised and Amended 30 March and 9 July,1999. Edited and translated by W.E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1999.

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Courts

Overview

Benro Schwarz, “Litigation in Russia.” In Litigation and Arbitration in Central and Eastern Europe. Edited by David W. Rivkin and Charles Platto. The Hague; London; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1996.
Succinct explanation of the competence of civil and commercial courts within the Russian Federation court system.
Solomon, Peter H. and Todd S. Foglesong. Courts and Transition in Russia: The Challenge of Judicial Reform. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000.
Examination of court system based on field research, including survey responses by Russian judges. Includes recommendations for strengthening the court system. Does not include arbitrazh courts or the Constitutional Court.

Arbitrazh Courts

“Legal Reformation: New Institutions and New Principles: Arbitrazh Courts.” Statutes and Decisions. The Laws of the USSR and its Successor States. 32, no.4 (July-August 1996).
Includes the Law on the Arbitrazh Courts of April 28, 1995; The Arbitrazh Procedure Code of May 5, 1995.
“Decrees of the Supreme Arbitrazh Court: ‘On the Legal Status of Forwards’ and ‘On the Operations of International Treaties of the Russian Federation Relating to Constitutions of Arbitrazh Procedure’.” Sudebnik 4, no. 2 (1999): 337-356.
See also, Reynolds, Sarah. Handbook on Commercial Dispute Resolution in the Russian Federation. Listed under: Commercial Law: Guides/Current Awareness, in this paper.

Constitutional Court

“Legal Reformation: New Constitutions and New Principles: The Jurisprudence of the First Russian Constitutional Court.” Statutes and Decisions: The Laws of the USSR and Its Successor States. 30, no.3, (May-June 1994)-30, no.6 (November-December 1994).
These 4 issues of the journal include decisions of the Constitutional Court issued from January 1992 to the time of its suspension in the political crisis of October 1993.
“Legal Reformation: New Institutions and New Principles–The Russian Constitutional Court Revisited.” Statutes and Decisions. The Laws of the USSR and its Successor States. 31, no. 4 (July-August 1995)-31, no.5 (September-October 1995).
These 2 issues include a translation of the 1994 Law on the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the first eleven decisions issued in 1995, including the decision and dissents on the constitutionality of the War in Chechnia.
“The Development of Russian Federalism: Federalism in the Courts.” Statutes and Decisions: The Laws of the USSR and its Successor States. 35, no.3 (May-June 1999)-35, no.4, (Sept.-Oct. 1999).
Two successive issues of the journal are devoted to translations of decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation between 1995 and 1998 dealing with federalism. Often deal with charters and statutes from regions of the Russian Federation.
“Decision of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation Federation on the Verification of the Constitutionality of Provisions of the Federal law as of April 15, 1998, ‘On Cultural Values Displaced to the USSR as a Result of World War II and Situated on the Territory of the Russian Federation’.” Mezhdunarodnoe Pravo-International Law. 1/2000/7:281-301.

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Commercial Law

Treatises/Guides/Current Awareness

BNA’s Eastern European Reporter. Washington, D.C: Bureau of National Affairs,. 1991- (Looseleaf). Bi-monthly.
Provides current coverage of legal aspects of commerce. Short overview of recent Developments. Includes country reports, industry checklist, highlights.
Doing Business in the Russian Federation. N.Y: Price Waterhouse, 1997.
Frenkel, William G. Commercial Law of Russia: A Legal Treatise. Irvington – on-Hudson: Transnational Juris, 1995-. (Looseleaf).
Contains detailed explanations of laws relating to property, business organizations, foreign investment, etc. and includes select translations of legislation.
Handbook for doing Business in Russia: U.S. and Canadian Firms in Russia. 5th ed. Moscow: Daksi Publ.; London: Simmonds & Hill, 1998.
Legal Guide to doing Business in Russia and the Former Republics of the USSR. Edited by Aviva Akren. Chicago: Sect. Of International Law & Practice, American Bar Association, 2000.
Reynolds, Sarah. Handbook on Commercial Dispute Resolution in the Russian Federation: a Guide for Businesses on Navigating the Russian Legal System for Resolution of Business Disputes. Washington, D.C: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2000.
Gives detailed information on various bodies involved in dispute resolution, stressing especially the important role of arbitrazh courts. Outlines steps of procedures in filing claims, responding to petitions, filing appeals, etc. Appendices give examples of petitions, responses to petitions, appeal complaint, etc.
Russia: A Legal Guide. London: Euromoney Pub., 1997.
Special supplement to International Financial Law Review, October 1997.
Working with the Non-Profit Sector in Russia: A Guide for Companies, Foundations and international Agencies. Kings Hill, West Walling, Kent: CAF; London: Kluwer Law International Ltd., 1998-. (Looseleaf).

Compilations of Laws on Business

The sources listed below are no longer updated, and this is so noted in each instance. However, they have been included here because the commentary and translation found in them still have value.

Birenbaum, David Business Ventures in Eastern Europe and Russia. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall Law and Business, 1992. 2 vols. (Looseleaf)
Commentary and translations of laws. V. 2. contains full text of legislation. Has not been updated since 1993, but still excellent source for laws of that period.
Business and Commercial Laws of Russia : Translations with Expert Commentary. J.P. Hupp, gen. ed. Translations by Russica Information, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO: Shepard’s McGraw Hill, 1993-1995. 3 vols. (Looseleaf). Suspended at end of 1995.
Trade and Commercial Laws of the Russian Federation: Official Codification and Commentary. Compiled and edited by the Academy of Jurisprudence of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, The Institute of Economic Problems of the Transitional Period of the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation in Association with Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C.; commentaries by the Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Law faculty. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y: Oceana Pub., 1993. (Looseleaf). Not updated since 1996.
Commercial Code of Russia: an Adaptive Translation of the Laws of the Russian Federation Relating to Domestic and Foreign Commerce. Ed. By N. V. Romanovskaia and R. G. Allen. Manassas, Va. AHH Publications, 1993-1999. (Looseleaf). Publication ceased.

Arbitration (International)

Hober, Kaj. Enforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards against Russian Entities. Irvington-on Hudson, N.Y: Transnational Juris, 1994.
Rivkin, David W. and Charles Platto, eds. Litigation and Arbitration in Central and Eastern Europe. The Hague; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1998.
Contains: “Arbitration in Russia”, by Andrey Gorodissky. Also includes, in Annex IV of book: “Law on International Commercial Arbitration of July 7, 1993; Rules of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation; Statute on the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.”
“Rules of International Commercial Arbitration Court of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.” Trans. by W.B. Simons and C. Vaughn-Kirov. Review of Central and East European Law. 22, no.1 (Spring 1996).
World Arbitration Reporter. >Hans Smit and Vratislav Pechota, eds . Juris Pub., 1986-. (Looseleaf)
Vol. 2A contains background on arbitration in the Russian federation; Law of the Russian Federation on International Commercial Arbitration (of 1993), and citations to judicial and arbitral decisions. Vol. 4A contains Rules of The International Arbitral Court at the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Russian Federation.

Bankruptcy

“Legislation on Bankruptcy in the Russian Federation: A Special Issue.” Review of Central and East European Law. 25:1-2 (1999).
Contains translations of the laws On Insolvency (Bankruptcy) and On Insolvency of Credit Organizations; also related decrees of the Government and of the Central Bank.

Company Law

Russian Company Law: Basic Legislation. 3rd ed. Edited and translated by W.E. Butler. Cambridge, MA: Kluwer Law International, 2000.
Includes translations of laws as amended through 1999. Includes explanations of laws on licensing of business activities, insurance, bankruptcy, foreign investment, etc.

Joint Stock Companies

Black, Bernard S. Guide to the Russian Federal Law on Joint Stock Companies: Commentary and Material. Kluwer. 1998.
Russian Joint-Stock Societies: Basic Legislation. Edited and translated by William E. Butler. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1996.
Russian Law on Joint Stock companies. Moscow: Baker & McKenzie, 1996.
Russian Federal law on Joint Stock Companies, adopted by State Duma on Nov. 24, 1995, entered into force Jan. 1, 1996.

Monopoly

“Legal Reformation: New Institutions and New Principles: The Creation and Regulation of Markets: Demonopolization and Competition.” Statutes and Decisions: The Laws of the USSR and Its Successor States. 31, no.2 (Jan.-Feb. 1995)- 31, no.3 (May-June 1995). These 3 issues bring together various laws and orders on anti-monopoly policy, including the the 1992 amended version of the law “On Competition and Limitation of Monopolistic Activity in the Goods Markets”; Presidential edicts; and Decisions of the Arbitration Court dealing with competition and anti- monopoly policy from 1992 to 1995. Issue 31, no.2 focuses on consumer protection, and has different subtitle, “Consumer Protection” instead of ”Demonopolization and Competition.“

Privatization

Smit, Hans and Vratislav Pechota, eds. Privatization in Eastern Europe: Legal, Economic and Social Aspects. Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y: Transnational Juris; Dordrecht (The Netherlands): Martinus Nijhoff, 1994.
Includes material on privatization in Russia. Annexes include list of privatization laws.

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Criminal Law

Ledeneva, Alena V. and Kurkachiian, Marina., eds. Economic Crime in Russia. The Hague: Kluwer International, 2000.
Essays by various authors. Some included articles are: “Corruption and Violence in Russian Business in Late 1990’s;” “Russian Hackers and Virtual Crime;” “Money Laundering Control and the Rule of Law in Russia.”
Mikhlin, Aleksandr S. The Death Penalty in Russia. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1999.
History of death penalty in pre-Soviet and Soviet periods, and application and regulation of the death penalty in the Russian Federation.
Williams, Phil. Russian Organized Crime. The New Threat? Ilford, Essex; Portland, OR: Frank Cass, 1997.
Essays by various authors on origin and development of Russian criminal organizations and their activities both in Russia and in other countries.

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Human Rights

Confessions at any Cost. Police Torture in Russia. New York: Human Rights Watch, 1999.
Study of pre-trial detention and treatment of accused by Russian police.
Henderson, Jane E. “Defending the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens in the Russian Federation.” Sudebnik, 3, no.2 (1998): 293-302.
Includes the Law On Appealing to a Court Actions and Decisions Violating the Rights and Freedoms of Citizens.
Human Rights Violations in the Criminal Justice System of Russia: Arrest, Investigation, Pretrial Detention: Documents Collected by the Moscow Center for Prison Reform. Compiler and Editor, Valery Abramkin et al. Moscow: The Center, 1994.
Protection of Minority Rights through Bilateral Treaties: the Case of Central and Eastern Europe. Edited by Arie Bloed and Pieter van Dijk. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1999.
Case studies on on effectiveness of bilateral treaties on minority rights in Poland, Hungary and Russia.
Sidorenko-Stephenson, Svetalana. Legal Reform and Human Rights in Russia: Key Developments and Actors. Colchester: Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, 1998.
Torture in Russia: “This Man-Made Hell.” New York: Amnesty International, 1997.

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Intellectual Property Law

Butler, William E., editor and translator. Intellectual Property Law in Russia. London: Simmonds and Hill, 1998.
Contains: “Law on Author’s and Neighbouring Rights”; “Law on Trademarks, Service Marks, and Names of Places of Origin of Goods;” “Patent Law of the Russian Federation;” “Law on the Legal Protection of Programmes for Electronic Computers and Data Bases;” “Law on the Legal Protection of Topologies of Integral Microcircuits.”
Elst, Michiel and Katlijn Malfliet, eds. Intellectual Property in the Russian Federation: A System in Transition. Brussels: Bruylant, 1994.
Includes many laws dealing with intellectual property, including the Patent Law, Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights.
Intellectual Property: Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States. Comp. and ed. by David Garrison. Dobbs Ferry, N.Y: Oceana, 1995-. (Looseleaf)
Revised edition of : Intellectual Property in the ex-Soviet Republics, 1992-1995. Includes translation of intellectual property legislation and related laws.

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International Law

Butler, William E. Russian Law of Treaties. London: Simmonds & Hill, 1997.
Contains Law On International Treaties and Continuation of Treaties made by the USSR.
Ginsburgs, George. From Soviet to Russian International Law: Studies in Continuity and Change. (Law in Eastern Europe, vol. 48). The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1998.
Mullerson, Rein, et.al., eds. Constitutional Reform and International Law in Central and Eastern Europe. The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1997.
Includes following essays: “Reference to International Law in the Decided Cases of the First Russian Constitutional Court,” by J. Henderson; “The First Russian Constitutional Court: Hopes and Aspiration,” by J. Henderson; “The Russian Treaty Law and the Vienna Convention on Treaties,” by M. Andenas; “The New Federal Law on International Treaties of the Russian Federation,” by S. Pounjine.

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Property Law

Mozolin, Viktor P. Property Law in Contemporary Russia. (Washington, D.C: International Law Institute, 1994-. (Looseleaf).

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Web Sources

Compilations of Laws (Comprehensive)

GARANT
Also in Lexis under file-name RFLAW. Also on CD-ROM. Fee-based. Although emphasis is on commercial law, coverage is wide-ranging, including material not necessarily thought of as specifically business-related. Free access to view listings of documents and legislation. Lexis version titled: Russian Economic Data-base.
KODEKS
Fee -based. Though English Translation has title “Legal Regulation of Business in Russia”, this data-base, like Garant, provides wide -ranging coverage, well beyond a narrow definition of “business legislation”. Free access provides overview of subject listings of laws.

Commerce-Related Sites

Banking laws
From Global Banking Law Database, joint project of the World Bank Group and The International Monetary Fund. Click on Russia from jurisdiction options. Includes Law on Central Bank, with amendments through July 8, 1999.
BISNIS
Site of U.S. Trade Center, U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s primary resource center for companies interested in doing business in Russia and other Newly-Independent-States (NIS). Much information on foreign trade, foreign investment, etc. Links to organizations and government bodies involved with business activities in Russia and other Newly-Independent-States (NIS). Includes section on business outlook within specific regions of Russia.
Federal Commission on the Securities Market
Official site of the Commission. Includes information about the Commission, Press Service Information Bulletin, Official documents such as decrees, regulations, orders, annual reports.
Privatization law of July 3, 1991 with Additions and Amendments of June 5, 24, 1992, March 1997

Constitution

Constitution Finder
From University of Richmond.
ILC
From International Constitutional Law Project at the University of Wuerzburg.

Constitutional Court

Constitutional Court
Official site of the court. English version includes: background information; the “Federal Constitutional Law on the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation”; and summaries of selected decisions of the court. See also Russiasite for listing of of Constitutional Court rulings in chronological order from 1992, with translations of the decision names.

Human Rights

Country Reports on Human Rights Practice
From U.S. State Dept. Select year, then country.
Religious Freedom in Russia
From Association for Religious Freedom, NGO with UN consultative status. Contains reports from Keston Institute.
Election Laws
From International Foundation for Election Laws. Very good site. Includes election laws, model laws, observer documents.
Intelligence Related Laws and Decrees
Interesting site from Federation of American Scientists. Some translated laws included are: On the Fight Against Terrorism (of July 25, 1998); On Foreign Intelligence, (January 10, 1996); On Information, Informatization, and the Protection of Information, ( February 20, 1995). Also includes many presidential decrees dealing with security issues, statutes of bodies involved with security, and other related material.
Laws on Media
From Journalism School of Moscow University, in partnership with Cardoza School of Law and Oxford University Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. Includes laws On Advertising, On Communications, and On Mass Media, as well as some other material of relevance.

Sites Providing Links to Internet Resources

Below is a sampling of the many sites which provide links to Russian legal and sometimes other resources. The sites include links to material which is available only in Russian as well as to material in English.

Russian Laws–Internet Resources
From Slavic Research Center, Hokkaido University in Japan. Most laws in Russian, but some translations. Also has writings on legal topics in English.
theRussiaSite.org
Some laws in translation, including constitution, and several laws on the judiciary, including the Federal Constitutional law On Military Courts in the Russian Federation (1999). Also provides listing of Constitutional Court decisions in chronological order from 1992, with translations of the names of the decisions.
CEESource: Gonzaga University
Cornell University Law Library: Foreign and International Law Sources on the Web
Findlaw
Foreign Primary Law on the Web: University of Houston Law Library
NYU Law Library

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Posted in: Features, International Legal Research