Senators approve bill on Constitutional Court's right to declare ECHR judgments unconstitutional
MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax) - The Federation Council on Wednesday approved a bill giving the Russian Constitutional Court the right to decide whether judgments of international bodies protecting human rights and liberties, primarily the European Court of Human Rights, based upon grievances against Russia should be enacted or not.
In line with the bill the Constitutional Court shall be guided by the principle of the supremacy of the Russian Constitution in passing such decisions.
The bill introduces a special legal mechanism of deciding on the possibility or impossibly "of enacting a judgment made on a grievance against Russia considering the principles of supremacy and supreme legal force of the Constitution of the Russian Federation."
It defines the procedure of handling motions which the president and government of Russia can submit in relation to this to the Constitutional Court.
Head of the Federation Council Committee for Constitutional Legislation Andrei Klishas said the purpose of the bill "is precisely to stimulate the government of the Russian Federation, i.e. the executive branch of power, to fulfill judgments of international courts the jurisdiction of which is recognized by the Russian Federation."
It does not imply that the judgments of some intentional courts will not be enacted, he said at a committee session on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Council of Europe has already expressed concern about the legislative initiative.