MOSCOW STATE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (UNIVERSITY)
OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
A. V. Malko, V. V. Subochev, G. V. Fedorov
BASICS
OF RUSSIAN LAW
TEXTBOOK
Москва
2017
Стр.2
ББК 8УДК 811.111:36(075)
B291.2Англ
Электронные версии книг
на сайте www.prospekt.org
About the Authors:
A. V. Malko – Doctor of Juridical Science, Professor, Director of the Saratov Branch of the
Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honoured Science Worker
of the Russian Federation;
V. V. Subochev – Doctor of Juridical Science, Professor of Department of Legal Support of
Management Activities, MGIMO-University;
G. V. Fedorov – Master of Laws, Associate at the Moscow office of Hogan Lovells, an international
law firm (Infrastructure, Energy, Resources and Projects practice).
Peer reviewers:
V. B. Isakov – Doctor of Juridical Science, Professor, Honoured Lawyer of the Russian
Federation;
N. I. Matusov – Doctor of Juridical Science, Professor, Honoured Science Worker of the
Russian Federation;
Y. I. Vaslavskiy – Ph.D. in Political Science, Associate Professor of Political Theory.
Malko A. V., Subochev V. V., Fedorov G. V.
B29
Basics of Russian Law. Textbook. – Moscow : Prospekt, 2017. – 240 p.
ISBN 978-5-392-21764-9
This textbook presents in accessible form information necessary for comprehensive understanding
of the basics of Russian law: theory of state and law, constitutional, civil, labour,
administrative and criminal law.
It is based on the Russian legislation in force and the market practice, combining theoretical
material, classical and modern doctrinal works, as well as the basics of the current
legislation. The above will allow readers to obtain practically-oriented knowledge.
This textbook is intended for lawstudents, legalscholars, legal practitioners, as well as
everyone who is interested in the basics of Russian law.
ББК 8 УДК 811.111:36(075)
1.2Англ
The image on the cover megastocker /Shutterstock.com
ISBN 978-5-392-21764-9
© Малько А. В., Субочев В. В.,
Федоров Г. В., 2016
© ООО «Проспект», 2016
Стр.3
CONTENTS
Preface ...............................................................................................................................3
Part 1
BASICS OF THE THEORY OF STATE AND LAW
Chapter 1
ORIGINS OF STATE AND LAW
1.1. Primary Causes and Forms of the Birth of State .................................................. 4
1.2. Principal Theories of State Origin ....................................................................... 6
1.3. Peculiarities of the Birth of Law .......................................................................... 8
STATE: ITS ESSENCE AND FUNCTIONS
Chapter 2
2.1. State Power: Its Nature and Distinctive Features ............................................... 11
2.2. Defi nition and Characteristics of State ...............................................................12
2.3. State Functions and Their Classifi cation ........................................................... 14
FORM OF STATE
Chapter 3
3.1. Form of State: Defi nition and Elements ............................................................ 16
3.2. Form of Government........................................................................................ 16
3.3. Form of State Structure .................................................................................... 18
3.4. Political Regime and Its Types .......................................................................... 19
STATE MECHANISM AND THE SOCIETY'S
POLITICAL SYSTEM
Chapter 4
4.1. Defi nition and Structure of the Mechanism of State .......................................... 23
4.2. State Agencies and Their Classifi cation ............................................................. 24
4.3. Principles of Organisation and Functioning
of the Mechanism of State ................................................................................ 25
4.4. Defi nition and Structure of the Society's Political System .................................. 26
4.5. State and the Political System ........................................................................... 27
ESSENSE OF LAW
Chapter 5
5.1. Defi nition and Characteristics of Law ............................................................... 29
5.2. Principles of Law .............................................................................................. 31
5.3. Functions of Law .............................................................................................. 32
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Contents
5.4. Legal System of Society .................................................................................... 33
5.5. Modern Legal Families ..................................................................................... 33
INDIVIDUAL, LAW, AND STATE
Chapter 6
6.1. Legal Status of an Individual: Defi nition and Types ........................................... 36
6.2. Correlation and Interaction of State and Law .................................................... 36
6.3. Rule of Law State: Essence and Principles ......................................................... 37
6.4. Civil Society: Defi nition, Characteristics, and Structure .................................... 38
6.5. Legal Awareness and Legal Culture ................................................................... 39
NORM OF LAW. FORMS (SOURCES) OF LAW
Chapter 7
7.1. Defi nition and Characteristics of a Norm of Law............................................... 41
7.2. Structure of a Norm of Law .............................................................................. 42
7.3. Classifi cation of Norms of Law ......................................................................... 42
7.4. Defi nition and Types of Forms (Sources) of Law ............................................... 43
7.5. Normative Acts: Defi nition and Types .............................................................. 44
LAW-MAKING AND REALISATION OF LAW
Chapter 8
8.1. Defi nition, Principles, and Types of Law-Making ............................................. 47
8.2. Systematisation of Legal Acts: Defi nition and Types .......................................... 48
8.3. Realisation of Law: Defi nition and Forms ......................................................... 49
LEGAL OFFENCE AND LEGAL LIABILITY
Chapter 9
9.1. Defi nition, Characteristics and Types of Legal Off ence ..................................... 52
9.2. Notion, Grounds and Types of Legal Liability ................................................... 55
SYSTEM OF RUSSIAN LAW
Chapter 10
10.1. Defi nition and Structural Elements of a System of Law ..................................... 57
10.2. Brief Description of Primary Branches of Russian Law ...................................... 58
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.
BASICS OF CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
BASICS OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
Chapter 11
Part 2
11.1. Constitutional Law of the Russian Federation as a Branch of Law:
General Description ......................................................................................... 61
11.2. Defi nition and Legal Features of a Constitution ................................................ 63
11.3. Fundamentals of the Constitutional Order of the Russian Federation ................ 64
RIGHTS, FREEDOMS AND OBLIGATIONS
OF MAN AND CITIZEN IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Chapter 12
12.1. Notion of Rights and Freedoms of Man and Citizen.......................................... 69
12.2.
Classifi cation of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
of Man and Citizen ........................................................................................... 70
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Contents
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FEDERAL STRUCTURE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Chapter 13
13.1. General Description of Modern Russian Federalism ......................................... 75
13.2. Constitutional Status of the Russian Federation ................................................ 76
13.3.
STATE AND MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Chapter 14
14.1. The President of the Russian Federation ........................................................... 80
14.2. The Federal Assembly (Parliament) of the Russian Federation .......................... 82
14.3. Law-Making Procedure in the Russian Federation ............................................ 84
14.4. The Government of the Russian Federation and the Structure
of Federal Executive Bodies of the Russian Federation ...................................... 86
CIVIL LAW AS A BRANCH OF RUSSIAN LAW
BASICS OF CIVIL LAW
Chapter 15
Part 3
15.1. The Defi nition and the System of Civil Law ...................................................... 95
15.2. Sources of Civil Law ......................................................................................... 97
CIVIL RELATIONS
Chapter 16
16.1. Defi nition, Structure and Types of Civil Relations ............................................ 99
16.2. Citizens (Individuals) as Participants of Legal Relations ...................................100
16.2.1. Specifi c Features of a Citizen. Active and Passive
Legal Capacity of a Citizen ..................................................................100
Constitutional Status of the Subjects
of the Russian Federation ................................................................................. 78
237
12.3. Obligations of Man and Citizen under the Constitution
of the Russian Federation ................................................................................. 73
14.5. Judicial Power and the Prosecutor’s Offi ce ........................................................ 90
14.6. Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation ............................................ 92
16.2.2. Business Activities of a Citizen.............................................................103
16.2.3. The Guardianship, the Trusteeship, the Patronage ...............................104
16.2.4. Recognizing the Citizen as Missing for an Unknown Reason
and Declaring the Citizen as Dead ......................................................105
16.3. Legal Entities as Parties to Civil Relations ........................................................106
16.3.1. The Defi nition and Legal Capacity of a Legal Entity ............................106
16.3.2. Establishment and Termination of Legal Entities. Bankruptcy .............107
16.4. Types of Legal Entities .....................................................................................110
16.4.1. Corporate Legal Entities ......................................................................110
16.4.2. Unitary Legal Entities .........................................................................114
16.5. Objects of Civil Rights .....................................................................................115
16.6.
Deals and their Invalidity .................................................................................117
RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP AND OTHER RIGHTS IN REM
16.7. Enjoyment and Protection of Civil Rights ........................................................119
Chapter 17
17.1. Notion of Right of Ownership and its Holders ..................................................121
17.2.
Acquisition and Cessation of Ownership ..........................................................122
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17.3. Common Property ...........................................................................................123
17.4. Limited Rights in Rem .....................................................................................125
17.5. Ownership Protection ......................................................................................126
GENERAL PROVISIONS ON OBLIGATIONS
AND CONTRACTS
Chapter 18
18.1. The Defi nition of an Obligation and Its Performance .......................................128
18.2. Providing for the Discharge of Obligations .......................................................130
18.3.
Liability for Violation of Obligations ................................................................132
18.4. Termination of Obligations ..............................................................................133
18.5. Defi nition and Terms of Contract ....................................................................134
18.6. Types of Contracts ...........................................................................................136
18.7. Concluding a Contract.....................................................................................137
18.8. Modifi cation and Rescission of Contract ..........................................................139
INHERITANCE LAW
Chapter 19
19.1. General Provisions on Inheritance ...................................................................141
19.2. Inheritance by Will ..........................................................................................142
19.3. Inheritance by Operation of Law ......................................................................144
19.4.
Acquisition of Inheritance ...............................................................................145
Part 4
BASICS OF LABOUR LAW
Chapter 20
LABOUR LAW AND ITS ACTORS
20.1. Defi nition, Subject Matter, and Method of Labour Law ...................................147
20.2. Principles of Labour Law .................................................................................149
20.3. Labour Relations .............................................................................................151
LABOUR CONTRACT
Chapter 21
21.1. Defi nition of Labour Contract and Its Conclusion ...........................................154
21.2. Modifi cation and Termination of a Labour Contract ........................................157
21.3. Social Partnership in Labour and Collective
WORKING TIME AND LEISURE TIME
Agreements .....................................................................................................160
Chapter 22
22.1. Defi nition and Types of Working Time ............................................................162
22.2. Labour Regulations and Labour Discipline ......................................................164
22.3. Defi nition and Types of Leisure Time ..............................................................166
PROTECTION OF LABOUR RIGHTS
AND FREEDOMS
LABOUR PROTECTION.
Chapter 23
23.1. Protection of Labour and Its Organisation ........................................................169
23.2. Protection of Labour Rights and Labour Disputes ............................................171
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Contents
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BASICS OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
Chapter 24
Part 5
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND PARTICIPANTS
OF ADMINISTRATIVE LEGAL RELATIONS
24.1. Subject Matter, Method and Distinctive Features of Administrative Law
as a Branch of Law ...........................................................................................175
24.2. Administrative Legal Norms and Administrative Relations ...............................177
24.3. System of Administrative Law and Its Sources ..................................................178
24.4. Administrative Law Actors and Their Status .....................................................179
24.4.1. Citizens, Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons ..................................179
24.4.2. President and Executive Agencies ........................................................182
24.4.3. State Civil Servants..............................................................................185
24.4.4. Military Servicemen ............................................................................189
ADMINISTRATIVE COERCION
AND ADMINISTRATIVE LIABILITY
Chapter 25
25.1. Defi nition and Types of Administrative Coercion .............................................192
25.2. Defi nition and Types of Administrative Off ences ..............................................193
25.3.
25.4.
Administrative Penalty and Its Types ...............................................................197
Part 6
CRIMINAL LAW AND CRIMINAL LEGISLATION
BASICS OF CRIMINAL LAW
Chapter 26
26.1. Defi nition, Subject Matter, Method, and Specifi cs of Criminal Law .................201
26.2. Principles of Criminal Law ..............................................................................202
26.3. Criminal Law of Russia and Its Structure .........................................................203
26.4. Operation of Criminal Law in Time and Space .................................................204
CRIME AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY
Chapter 27
27.1. Defi nition of Crime, Its Features, and Categories .............................................207
27.2.
Multiplicity of Crimes ......................................................................................209
27.3. Criminal Liability ............................................................................................210
27.4. Corpus Delicti .................................................................................................211
27.5. Stages of Committing a Crime .........................................................................215
27.6. Complicity in a Crime .....................................................................................216
27.7. Circumstances Excluding the Criminality of a Deed .........................................218
CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT
Chapter 28
28.1. The Defi nition, Purposes, and Types of Punishment ........................................222
28.2. Imposition of a Punishment .............................................................................225
28.3. Release from Criminal Liability and Punishment .............................................228
28.4. Amnesty. Pardon. Criminal Record .................................................................229
28.5. Criminal Liability of Minors ............................................................................231
28.6. Compulsory Measures of Medical Nature ........................................................232
28.7. Confi scation of Property ..................................................................................233
Administrative Liability and Its Principles ........................................................195
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