Parliament's Lower Chamber Approves Package Of Draft Laws On Judicial Reform

The State Duma, parliament's lower chamber, has approved a package of draft laws on a judicial reform in the third, final reading. The amendments concern primarily the procedure for vesting judges with powers. According to the changes which were approved as a whole, "the age limit - 65 years - for federal judges, 65 years, has been established". A judge may also be appointed chairman or vice-chairman of a court more than once during his/her lifetime but no more than two times in succession. The law On the Status of Judges in the Russian Federation formulates the procedure for prosecuting judges. The fact that a judge may be deprived of powers for a disciplinary misdeed is an innovation. The law On the Constitutional Court of Russia specifies the mechanism for fulfilment of court decisions and the status of the judges of the Constitutional Court. The law sets the age limit for keeping a judge of the Constitutional Court in office - 70 years but this rule will come into effect only from January 1, 2005.