Vocabulary tasks

A Match the following English words and expressions with their Russian equivalents.

1	legal system	a	судебный иск
2	application of law	b	решить спор
3	variety of courts	c	сторона по делу
4	make decisions	d	ограничение
5	legal action	e	разнообразие судов
6	party	f	применение права/ закона
7	restriction	g	правовая система
8	resolve a dispute	h	принимать решения

Jurisdiction of Courts

The judicial system consists of several levels, each level having numerous courts. Which court shall consider a particular case?

After cases are distributed between basic levels of judicial system (i.e. between courts of general jurisdiction and Arbitrazh courts), they shall be distributed between numerous courts of one judicial level. The basic principle in determining court's jurisdiction in this case is the geographic position of the court.

The Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court ensures that the laws and other normative acts passed or being considered by the supreme and local legislative branches are constitutional.

The jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court is the observance over compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation of federal laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, acts of the Federation Council, of the State Duma, of the Russian Federation Government, Constitutions of Republics of the Russian Federation and a number of other normative legal acts. The Constitutional Court may rule on the legal matters when that is stipulated by the Federal Constitutional Law.

Jurisdiction of the Courts of General Jurisdiction

In particular, individuals and legal entities may defend their rights in courts of general jurisdiction in case these individuals and legal entities are parties to a disputable legal relationship. The following cases are considered in courts of general jurisdiction:

• Cases and claims arising from civil, family, labour relations

• Disputes arising from public legal relations

• Contesting by an individual (a group of individuals) of normative legal acts

• Disputes of public or religious organizations (associations) with bodies of state power or state officials disputes between public and religious organizations

• Cases and claims arising from administrative legal relations

• Cases and claims arising from transportation agreements

The above list may be continued: courts of general jurisdiction may also consider other disputes.

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body for civil, criminal, business and other cases. It has the power of supervision over the activities of all the judicial bodies of the state. The Supreme Court gives the court interpretation on the issues of court practice. It tries the most important criminal and civil cases and likewise hears appeals against the judgements and sentences of other courts, as well as appeals against the judgements and sentences of the military courts of the state.

1 What does the term ‘jurisdiction’ mean?

2 What are three forms of jurisdiction?

3 What is the function of the Constitutional Court?

4 Who may file their claims to the Constitutional Court?

5 In what cases the claims may be filed?

6 What are the peculiarities of jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court?

7 What cases are considered in courts of general jurisdiction?

8 What Article of the Constitution of the RF determines the jurisdiction of courts of general jurisdiction? What is this Article about?

9 What are the functions of the Supreme Court?