Monitoring of the Federal Legislation dated 23.04.2004

Ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of April 23, 2004 In the Case On Verification of the Constitutional Validity of the Land Code of the Russian Federation In Connection With the Inquiry of the Murmansk Regional Duma

The matter at issue in the case was the norms of the RF Land Code challenged in the inquiry of the Murmansk regional Duma under which foreign nationals, stateless persons and foreign legal entities are invested with the specific powers to acquire as ownership land plots in the territory of the Russian Federation and also the RF Land Code as a whole as concerns the procedure of adoption of same.
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the provisions being challenged do not run counter to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, inasmuch as they are aimed at elaborating the provisions of the Constitution regarding the purpose and constitutional legal status of land. Moreover, it was emphasized that the federal law-maker is obligated to ensure that the constitutionally important values, including land and other natural resources are duly protected. In so doing, it must proceed from the priority of the right of Russian citizens to hold land as their ownership, providing for the rational and effective use of land and its protection and also for the protection of the economic sovereignty of the Russian Federation,. integrity and inviolability of its territory.
As to the procedure for adoption of the Land Code, the Constitutional Court decided that it had no grounds that would lead it to believe that the procedures for adoption of the RF Land Code implemented by the Federal Assembly had resulted into distortion of the genuine declaration of intention of that representative body and, consequently, there were no grounds to declare it to be inconsistent with the Constitution of the Russian Federation .
The Ruling took effect immediately after it was announced.

Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation No. 81 of April 9, 2004 On Approval of Instructions On the Procedure For Burial of Persons Who Died While Serving a Criminal Sentence and Held In Custody At Institutions of the Criminal Penalty Execution System of the Ministry of Justice of Russia

In determines a procedure for burial of persons sentenced to imprisonment who died while serving a criminal sentence at penal colonies, medical-penal and medical-prevention reformatories, prisons, educational colonies and also of persons suspected of and charged with the commission of crimes who died while at pretrial detention facilities of the criminal penalty execution system of the Ministry of Justice of Russia.
The Administration of the institution is obligated to advise of the death of prisoner, suspect or of the person accused either to his or her close relative indicated in his or her personal file or to a person indicated in the prisoner's declaration of will. The advice shall be sent within twenty four hours by cable. The burial of persons who died while serving a criminal sentence at facilities of confinement and imprisonment at pretrial detention facilities shall be carried out with due regard for their declaration of will.
It determines the rules of keeping, giving-out and transportation of bodies of the deceased convicted persons who died while serving a criminal sentence and being held in confinement at institutions of criminal penalty execution and also of their burial in case of being unclaimed.
Registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in April 16, 2004. Registration No. 5755.

Order of the Ministry of Communication of the Russian Federation No. 26 of March 9, 2004 On Approval of the List and Form of Documents Required For Checking and Making Up of Application For the Funds of the Federal Budget To Compensate Operators of Communication For the Expenses Sustained By Them in 2004 In Connection With the Granting of Privileges In Payment of Services of Communication To Veterans and Invalids Whose Pension Maintenance Is Effected By Pension Bodies of the Federal Executive Authorities Which Provide For Military Service and Service Equated Thereto

The said list of documents necessary to carry out the checking and preparation of application for compensation of expenses of operators of communication by using the funds of the federal budget includes as follows: checking report, register, consolidated register, application, consolidated data and consolidated application.
It also gives the forms of the said documents.
Registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in April 16, 2004. Registration No. 5750.