CONSTITUTIONAL (STATUTORY) COUNCILS ATTACHED TO THE PARLIAMENTS IN THE CONSTITUENT ENTITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

Abstract

The paper explains the reasons for the centralized decision taken at the federal legislative level to abolish constitutional (statutory) courts in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and to replace them with constitutional (statutory) councils attached to regional parliaments. The comparative analysis of the powers of the above-mentioned constitutional control bodies is carried out based on national and foreign expertise. The author suggests his own concept of constitutional (statutory) councils attached to regional Parliaments instead of constitutional (statutory) courts in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Purpose: to formulate conceptual framework and science-based recommendations for the formation in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation new constitutional control bodies – constitutional (statutory) councils attached to regional Parliaments. Methods: the author uses theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic, historical methods, comparative methods, axiological methods. Results: the author concludes that the centralized replacement of the constitutional (statutory) courts in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation with constitutional (statutory) councils attached to regional Parliaments can be justified if the reorganization is carried out in a planned manner, consistently, with active cooperation with the federal authorities.