Ukase

In Imperial Russia, a ukase (/juːˈkeɪz, -ˈkeɪs/[1][2]) or ukaz (Russian: указ [ʊˈkas]) was a proclamation of the tsar, government,[3] or a religious leadership (e.g., Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' or the Most Holy Synod) that had the force of law.

From the Russian term, the word ukase has entered the English language with the meaning of "any proclamation or decree; an order or regulation of a final or arbitrary nature".

[2] Prior to the 1917 October Revolution, the term applied in Russia to an edict or ordinance, legislative or administrative, having the force of law.

A ukase proceeded either from the emperor or from the senate, which had the power of issuing such ordinances for the purpose of carrying out existing decrees.

[citation needed] According to the Russian Federation's 1993 constitution, a Decree of the President of Russia is referred to as ukaz.

Example of a Soviet-era ukaz : the appointment of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the USSR , 1964.
Example of a modern ukaz : the ambassadorial appointment of Sergey Kislyak to the United States in 2008.