The powers of constitutional (statutory) councils of subjects of the Russian Federation as bodies of legal protection of the Basic Law

Abstract

Constitutional (statutory) council is a new state body of federal subjects of Russia. The council is designed to replace the regional body of constitutional justice, abolished since 2023. At the same time, status of this new body is not detailed in the federal legislation, therefore, it gives rise to conflicting approaches in legal science. It is not clear whether the constitutional (statutory) council should (can) be a constitutional control body. Or it should be a supervisory body. It is not clear what set of powers the constitutional (statutory) council should have. The work uses historical and comparatively legal research methods. The authors study the experience of constitutional councils in republics of Yakutia, Bashkiria and Adygea. The conclusion is made about the main purpose of constitutional (statutory) councils: to ensure the supremacy and direct action of the Basic Law of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation and to exercise its legal protection. This implies the presence of powers: for normative control; on the interpretation of the constitution (charter) of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation; to resolve disputes between the highest authorities of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation. At the same time, an analysis of the laws on constitutional councils of subjects of the Russian Federation shows that they have the authority to exercise normative control in relation to all normative acts of a subject of the Russian Federation and local governments. However, they cannot deprive them of their legal force, since their decisions are advisory in nature. The right to interpret the Basic Law is granted to constitutional councils only in Yakutia and Bashkiria. The results of the interpretation are also advisory in nature, so the interpretation cannot be called an official interpretation (especially since the Constitutional Council of Bashkiria is preparing only a draft of such an interpretation). There is no power to resolve disputes in the laws on the status of constitutional councils in Yakutia, Bashkiria and Adygea. The conclusion is made about the ineffectiveness of the means of legal protection of the Basic Law available in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Mechanisms are proposed that will ensure the effectiveness of decisions of constitutional (statutory) councils. The right of constitutional councils to give an official normative interpretation of the Basic Law of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation is substantiated.