Development of the Law on Periodicals in the Russian Empire in 1906—1914

Abstract

The article reconstructs all stages of the development of legislation on the periodical press from 1906 to 1914. The article discusses the draft bills of political parties submitted to the I and IV State Duma and legislative initiatives of the government, including unfinished projects that have not been published. The author comes to conclusion that the direction of the legislative activity of the government has changed during the period under review. In 1908—1910, the Stolypin government was preparing a law that was supposed to limit administrative pressure on the press. In 1912—1913, Nicholas II's negative attitude to freedom of speech had a key influence on the legislative process, which led to personnel changes in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the development of a reactionary bill. The State Duma has played an important role in the legal regulation of the press. It prevented the tightening of the press legislation. And the draft bill developed in the Duma commission in 1913—1914, if adopted, could have created legal guarantees for further consolidation of the basic principles of freedom of the press in the Russian Empire.