The "47news" publishes a comment by Stanislav Danilov about the practice of introduction of the Code on Administrative Legal Proceedings. 16th September 2015

The new to Russia Code on Administrative Legal Proceedings will make judges speak even to the empty court room . The 47news has found out that in theory the novelty is useful for the citizens, but in practice Themis is pretty slow.

 In Russia the Code on Administrative Legal Proceedings came into force on 15 September. There was no regulatory document of that kind before. To make a long story short, legal relations within the "strong-weak" system get under the effect of the Code. For instance, "state structure-citizen" or "office of Public Prosecutor-commercial company".

"The main objective is to establish common rules for resolving conflicts between the state power and the most vulnerable party - natural and juridical persons. Cases in district and city courts get under the Code jurisdiction, - specified the partner of the attorneys at law Pen & Paper Stanislav Danilov to the 47news and added: - There are some interesting exclusions. For example, if an official decides to defend their interests within their department, they become a weak party." The lawyer also noted the positive effect of making arbitration courts less busy. "Earlier, if prosecution had revealed a breach of law not connected with commercial activity, such as an oil spill in the entrepreneur's garage, all the same, the case would have been brought to the arbitration."

Minor cases also get under the Code jurisdiction. For example, taxation of and imposing sanctions on natural persons, or disagreement of a citizen with the bill for renting a flat.

And now about an issue embarrassing for the judges. All the cases within the Code jurisdiction must be recorded on the audio bearer.

"A judge may have up to two scores of such plane cases a day. And parties often miss the sittings. But still the judge can issue a verdict after having informed the parties involved. And the judge does it after reading materials of the case conscientiously. But now, according to the new rule, the judge has to come into an empty court room together with the secretary and pronounce the whole text under recording addressing the absent parties. In general, the judge has to fulfill all proceedings, - explained to the 47news one of the district court judges and then added anxiously: - It  does not only make any sense, but will immensely slow down the court proceedings."

"Such an order was put into practice in the arbitration courts long ago. There parties often not only don't attend court sessions, but are not even aware of them, when, for example, a summons is delivered to the nominal address of the firm. It is true that a judge has to address the parties and say all the necessary words which are recorded,"- noted Stanislav Danilov.

The 47news thinks that an ultimate and cinematic effect of the judge's conversation with an empty court room would be reinforced by a well-known phrase from the criminal law:"All rise, the court is now in session."

(for the RALCI exclusively)