Judicial Bodies of the Republic of Karelia

Ø 1) Is the text easy to understand or do you need to use a dictionary?

Ø 2) Name “the signal words” which help the author to develop the idea on how judicial authority in the Republic of Karelia is held.

Ø 3) Read the text and say whether the following topics are covered in it:

a) The system of judicial authority in the Republic of Karelia.

b) Documents which are obligatory for physical persons and legal entities.

c) The highest judicial power body of the Republic of Karelia.

d) A judicial system executing justice resolution of economic cases.

e) Final judgments.

f) Membership of the Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia.

g) Competence within the Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia

Judicial authority in the Republic of Karelia is held by federal courts, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Karelia, and the magistracy of the Republic of Karelia.

Judicial acts which have entered into legal force are obligatory for all bodies of the government and local self-government, public associations, officials, other physical persons and legal entities.

The Constitutional Court was formed as the highest judicial power body, which protects the Constitutional order, for the first time in the history of Karelia by the Supreme Soviet of Karelia.

The formation of such a body was foreseen by the Constitution of the Republic of Karelia and adopted on its base on the 17^th of March, 1994 by the Law of Karelia “About the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Karelia”.

The Constitutional Court of Karelia began its work in November, 1994. The personnel of the Court are fixed by the Law of Karelia and amounts to 5 persons.

The Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia is a court in the system of arbitration courts of the RF executing justice resolution of economic cases and considering other cases within its competence according to the Arbitration code of practice of the RF and other federal laws.

Founded on November 13, 1991, the Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia at first instance:

· considers all the cases subordinate to courts of arbitration of the RF, except for cases within the competence of the Supreme Court of Arbitration of the RF;

· reconsiders accepted judicial acts and final judgments according to newly-discovered circumstances;

· addresses the Constitutional Court of the RF with inquiries to check the constitutionality of the law applied or being a subject application in the case considered in any instance;

· studies and generalizes judiciary practice;

· prepares offers on perfection of laws and other regulatory legal acts;

· analyzes judicial statistics.

Cases in the Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia are considered by a sole judge. Collegial constitution of the court considers cases on contestation of regulatory legal acts, insolvency (bankruptcy) if not stated by the federal law otherwise, and also sent to the court of arbitration at first instance for new consideration with specifying of collegial constitution of the court.

The Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia consisting of the judge and 2 arbitration assessors considers economic disputes and other cases arising from civil and other legal relationships if one of the parties declares its petition for consideration of the case at participation of arbitration assessors.

Not final judgments of the Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia are appealed in the Arbitration Court of Appeal. Final judgments are appealed in the Federal Arbitration Court of the North-west District. Final judgments can be reviewed by way of judicial supervision of judgments which have become final by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation.

The Arbitration Court of the Republic of Karelia has 32 judges appointed by the President of the Russian Federation. Eight judges have titles of the Honoured Lawyer of the Republic of Karelia, 4 of them are the Honoured Lawyers of the Russian Federation. The activity of the court is provided by 80 employees, of which 78 people are civil servants, 49 of them graduated from Law Faculties. Court of Arbitration of the Republic of Karelia has a Presidium, judicial board on consideration of the disputes arising from civil and other legal relationships, and judicial board for consideration of disputes arising from administrative legal relationships.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia is the supreme judicial instance in the system of courts of general jurisdiction of the Republic of Karelia. It consists of 18 federal city and regional courts, and 34 judicial districts of Justices of the Peace of the republic. Within its competence it considers cases as a court at first instance in the cassation order by way of judicial supervision of newly-discovered circumstances, supervises judicial activity of subordinate courts, studies and generalizes judicial practice. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia was created on September 4, 1923 as the Main Court. In June of 1937, according to the new Constitution, the Main Court was renamed into the Supreme Court of KASSR. The court has its modern name since November 13, 1991.

Ø 4) What events do the following dates from the text refer to: September 4, 1923; June, 1937; November 13, 1991; March 17, 1994; November, 1994?

Ø 5) Where and how can you use the text information?