Putin signed laws on the integration of new regions into the Russian judicial system

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a package of laws on the establishment of courts in the territory Donetsk And Luhansk people’s republics (DNR and LNR), in Zaporozhye And Kherson areas. The laws also establish the procedure for selecting candidates for the composition of the courts. Relevant documents are published on the portal of legal information.

Supreme and arbitration courts will be created in the territories of the DPR and LPR, and regional and arbitration courts will be created in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson garrison military, inter-district, district and city courts will also be created. Until the start of their work in the republics, the courts that worked on the day the LPR and DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions were admitted to the Russian Federation will continue to operate.

Selection to the federal courts of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts will be held on a competitive basis by the Higher Qualification Board of Judges of the Russian Federation based on the results of the qualification exam. Applicants will be selected from among the former judges of the annexed regions, as well as citizens of the Russian Federation who are not judges, but have passed the exam. Judges and citizens of the Russian Federation who have filled the positions of judges in the regions mentioned, as well as Russians who are not judges, but have a PhD or Doctor of Law degree and are also honored lawyers of the Russian Federation, will be exempted from passing it. Candidates with Ukrainian citizenship must provide a copy of the application submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs about their unwillingness to be a member.

The law on the establishment of courts in the DPR will come into force on April 20, in other regions on April 21. Laws on the procedure for selecting candidates for the courts of all four regions come into force from the day of publication.

On September 30, 2022, Vladimir Putin included the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into Russia. In November the President saidthat for the integration of courts in the territories of these four subjects there is a “serious amount of work”, but it should be as fast as possible. March 29 this year Federation Council approved laws on the integration of these regions into the judicial system of Russia. In the DNR and LNR persist former structures of governments and parliaments, in which there are no Russian parties yet.

Laura Keffer