Russian Legal System and the Use of Translations
Many businesses requiring Russian translations need them for legal reasons. Certified Russian translators can ensure that their translations are legally accepted in court by providing an affidavit swearing to the fact that the document has been translated accurately and faithfully to the text in the source language.
Because so many of these Russian translations are done for legal reasons, it might be interesting to understand the basics of the Russian government and legal system.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation, which was adopted in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union, outlines the legal system of the Russian Federation, and is considered the nation’s supreme law.
This constitution was meant to guide Russian judges when they are ruling, and carries more legal weight than federal and local laws do. These laws are enacted in the form of Statutes, which are written and voted on by the Russian legislature.
The main source of civil law is the Civil Code of Russia, which outlines laws on ownership of property, successions, intellectual property, and other civil obligations. It is this area of government, along with the courts, that most people seeking Russian document translations will be dealing with.
The President and government agencies have limited powers to enact laws of their own, provided that they act in accordance with the constitutional laws already in place.
Agencies in particular are limited by the policies they can enact, although the president can use these agencies to bypass the legislative system. The legislature, in turn, can pass statutes that limit the agencies’ power to enact laws further.
It is imperative that foreign companies operating in Russia understand these statutes and regulations, and in order to do so, they must have access to a reliable translation service provider.
Originally, judges in Russia could not make common law rulings.