the Civil Code of the RF).
ii) The Civil Procedure Code of the RF
The Civil Procedure Code of the RF regulates the procedure of civil legal proceedings in the courts of general jurisdiction.
iii) The Arbitration Procedural Code of the RF
The Arbitration Procedural Code of the RF regulates the legal proceedings form in the arbitration courts. The arbitration courts in the Russian Federation administer jurisdiction in the sphere of entrepreneurial and other economic activity (Article of 1 Arbitration Procedural Code of the RF).
iv) The Tax Code of the RF
The Tax Code of the RF, as well as the CC of the RF, consists of several parts which represent separate federal laws, but collectively form a uniform code. However, unlike the CC of the RF, there are two parts (not four parts) in the Tax Code of the RF.
The Tax Code of the RF stipulates the basis of the legislation on taxes and levies which regulates "relations of power with respect to the establishment, introduction, and collection of taxes and levies in the Russian Federation, as well as the relations which arise in the process of exercising tax control, and appealing against acts of tax authorities and the actions (and inaction) of their officials, and imposing sanctions for the tax offences," (Article 2 of the Tax Code of the RF).
Other federal laws on taxes and levies have to correspond with the Tax Code of the RF (Clause 1 of Article 1 of the Tax Code of the RF).
v) The Land Code of the RF
The Land Code of the RF regulates the relations on the use and protection of lands in the Russian Federation.
The norm of the land law, as contained in other federal laws, in laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation have to correspond with the Land Code of the RF (paragraph 2, Clause 1 of Article 2 of the Land Code of the RF).
vi) The Labor Code of the RF
The Labor Code of the RF is the basic law regulating the relations between the employee and the employer, as well as between the employer and the state.
The norms of the labor law, as contained in other federal laws, have to correspond with the Labor Code of the RF (Part 3 of Article 5 of the Labor Code of the RF).
vii) The Criminal Code of the RF
The Criminal Code of the RF provides for criminal liability for serious offenses/crimes. The criminal liability for different deeds can be established only by the Criminal Code of the RF.
viii) The Criminal Procedure Code of the RF
The Criminal Procedure Code of the RF regulates the procedure for criminal legal proceedings in the courts.
ix) The Code of Administrative Offences of the RF
The Code of Administrative Offences of the RF provides for administrative responsibility for the deeds listed therein, and lists the bodies which are authorized to consider cases of administrative offenses. It also regulates the proceedings, as well as the execution of decisions on cases of administrative offenses.
Unlike the Criminal Code of the RF, the Code of Administrative Offences of the RF does not contain an exhaustive list of deeds which result in administrative responsibility. The structures of administrative offenses and sanctions thereof are fixed in other legal acts as well. Thus, part 1 of Article 34 of the FL on Protection of Competition provides for the possibility of compulsory liquidation of the organization, in case it was created without receiving a prior consent of antimonopoly authority, provided that the necessity of receiving such consent is defined by the law. Additionally, the administrative responsibility can be established by the laws of the subjects of the Russian Federation.
4.2.3. The Federal Laws
In addition to the codes which contain most general norms, the activities of the entrepreneurs in Russia are also regulated by the federal laws. Some of them are listed below:
i) The Federal Law on Joint Stock Companies,
ii) The FL on Limited Liability Companies,
iii) The FL on Registration,
iv) The FL on Advertising,
v) The FL on Licensing,
vi) Foreign Investment Law.
Sometimes, the word «legislation» does not only refer to laws, but also to any other legal acts. For example, Clause 6 of Article 1 of the Tax Code of the RF directly states: “The laws and other normative legal acts which are referred to in this Article shall hereafter in the text of this code be referred to as ‘tax and levy legislation.’ ”
Moreover, it is necessary to remember that legal acts such as the “On Railway Transport Charter of the Russian Federation,” (RTC) and the “The Charter of Motor and Urban Surface Electric Transport,” (MUSETC) are also federal laws, despite the existence of the word «charter» in their names. This type of a legal act as the charter, does not exist in Russia, whereas this word sometimes occurs in names of various acts (not only in federal laws). When determining the legal nature of a legal act, it is always necessary to refer to its type (federal law, decree, decision, etc.) and the adopting body thereof (The President of the RF, the Government of the RF, etc.). This determination is not made by the name of the legal act.
5. The Subordinate Legislation
5.1. Subordinate Legal Acts of Public Authorities
5.1.1. Acts of the President of the Russian Federation
The legal acts of the President of Russia follow federal laws in the hierarchy of legal acts. The acts of the President of Russia should not contradict to the Constitution of Russia and the federal laws (part 3 of Article 90 of the Constitution of Russia).
The president of Russia issues acts of two types: decrees and orders.[21] As a rule, orders, unlike decrees, do not possess a normative character. Currently, the President of Russia has issued a few acts which regulate entrepreneurial activities.
5.1.2. Acts of the Government of the Russian Federation
The Government of Russia issues decisions and orders. They should not contradict the Constitution of Russia, federal laws, and decrees of the President of Russia (Article 115 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation).
5.1.3. Acts of the Ministries
The federal ministries adopt acts (generally those are commands and orders), on the basis and in accordance with the Constitution of Russia, the federal laws, the acts of the President and the Government of Russia.
5.1.4. Acts of Federal Agencies and Services
In the Russian Federation, all federal executive authorities, except for the Government of Russia and the Ministries, are two types: agencies and services. Agencies carry out the functions of providing state services, of management of the state property, and law-enforcement functions. The main function of the services is the exercising of control and supervision in the established field of activity. Both agencies and services issue law-enforcement acts, as well as normative legal acts in certain cases.
Federal agencies and services issue a large number of legal acts,
Additionally, this type of an act of the President of Russia as an assignment/order has recently been widely adopted. The orders of the President do not contain norms obligatory for legal entities and citizens. These documents contain provisions obligatory for subordinate governmental authorities reflecting, as a rule, the most accurate directions of the development of the legislation and the state policy in general. An understanding of some orders of the President of Russia can be useful for entrepreneurs.
