The Constitution establishes a semi-presidential system that encompasses strong executive power and increased independence for the president.
Article 15 of the Constitution reads that it "shall have supreme legal force and have direct effect, and shall be applicable throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation."
It concerned the term of office to be held by the President of the Russian Federation, which was increased from four to six years.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation came into being as an independent state in 1991 and it is described as a "democratic, federal, rule-based republic" in its constitution which is adopted in 1993, includes many universal principles such as human rights and freedoms, free elections, political and ideological pluralism and judicial independence.
General principles are usually articulated at the beginning of the codes in the first chapter to outline the reason for the legislation.
On 8 January 1997, President Yeltsin signed the Criminal Correctional Code to regulate the conditions of the sentences.
The President has power to issue normative and non-normative decrees, provided they do not contravene the constitution and federal laws.
Agencies may enact regulations through their general competency, but these are limited to the extent of the constitution and relevant codes.
The Civil Code purposely authorizes supplementary rules by "statute" rather than the broader term "legislation" which could encompass other secondary law.
Legal scholars also take part in these discussions, and the opinions of the judges and commentators are published and used as persuasive authority.
It is not clear which explanations are binding to lower courts, as there is a tension between the Constitution and federal law versus guiding explanatory principles.
The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has jurisdiction to determine the constitutionality of regulations issued by government agencies.
[citation needed] Judges often reason by analogy, using the general principles of the law the codes to interpret provisions broadly.
[citation needed] The Russian Civil Code explicitly mentions custom as a separate source of law.
Traditions may establish rules of decision where there is no dispositive language in statute or other written law.
[4] The Constitution of Russia instructs the president either to reject the laws passed by parliament, or to sign and publish them.