Duma Introduces Amendments To Law On Constitutional Court In Russian Federation

State Duma deputies have unanimously approved, in the second reading, the amendments to the federal constitutional law "On the Constitutional Court in the Russian Federation". All the 404 deputies voted for the adoption of the draft law. Meanwhile, the constitutional majority of 300 votes is necessary for the adoption of the law. The federal constitutional law specifies the mechanism of implementing the decisions, and the status of judges of the Constitutional Court. The draft law stipulates the maximum age for the post of the Constitutional Court's judge -- 70 years. But on the proposal of the presidential side, this norm will come into force on January 1, 2005. In compliance with the draft law, the judge of the Russian Constitutional Court cannot be made answerable for any opinion he expressed during the consideration of the case in the Constitutional Court even when the term of his power expires. Only the court sentence may change the situation, which will prove that a judge is guilty of the criminal abuse of his office. A disciplinary penalty can be imposed on the judge of the Russian Constitutional Court by a decision of the general meeting of Constitutional Court judges for a disciplinary fault, for instance, for violating the norms of the federal law "On the Status of Judges" and the code of judicial ethics.