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Judicial reform sets age limit for Russian judges,
limits legal immunity
ITAR-TASS
Moscow, 28 November: The State Duma (lower house) has adopted a package of laws on the judicial reform in the third, final, reading. It overwhelmingly approved amendments to the constitutional laws On the Legal System of Russia and On the Constitutional Court of Russia and the federal law On the Status of Judges in Russia.
The laws are aimed at specifying the status of judges, the procedure of their appointment and of termination and suspension of their powers and measures to reduce their immunity.
The age limit for federal court judges has been set at 65 years, and for Constitutional Court judges at 70 years. This limit will take effect as of 2005.
The tenure of office of presiding judges at courts of all levels and of their deputies, except for those of the Constitutional Court, is six years.
The same person cannot be appointed as the presiding judge or deputy presiding judge at the same court for more than two times in a row.
Judges' immunity has been reduced. They can now be indicted on criminal charges or face administrative punishment at the request of Russia's Prosecutor General, if there is a decision by a panel of three Supreme Court judges and the Supreme Qualification Collegium of Russian judges has given its consent. Judges can also be disciplined.
The approved package of judicial reform laws will now go before the Federation Council (upper house) for approval.
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