Russian Legal Terms: L–P

This glossary defines Russian legal terms from L to P in English transliteration, providing contextual explanations for their use in the Russian legal system.

L

Litsenzia (Лицензия) — License. A formal authorization issued by a state body permitting a legal person or individual entrepreneur to engage in a specific licensed activity. Licensing is governed by Federal Law No. 99-FZ on Licensing of Certain Types of Activities and covers activities including banking, insurance, education, and medical services.

Lichnost (Личность) — Person or personality. A legal and philosophical concept referring to the individual as a subject of rights and obligations. The concept of lichnost is central to constitutional rights guarantees, particularly the right to dignity, privacy, and personal development. Russian law protects the lichnost from arbitrary state interference.

Lgoty (Льготы) — Benefits or privileges. Preferential treatment granted to certain categories of persons by law, including tax benefits, social benefits, and procedural privileges. Lgoty are commonly granted to veterans, pensioners, disabled persons, families with children, and residents of specific regions.

M

Mesne (Местное) — Local (adjective). Pertaining to the municipal level of governance. The term appears in compound phrases such as mestnoe samoupravlenie (local self-government) and mestny byudzhet (local budget). Local self-government is constitutionally recognized and operates independently within its sphere of competence.

Mestnoe Samoupravlenie (Местное самоуправление) — Local self-government. The constitutionally guaranteed system of municipal governance through which citizens exercise power at the local level. Local self-government bodies independently manage municipal property, form and execute local budgets, and address local issues, though their autonomy has been progressively limited by federal legislation.

Ministerstvo (Министерство) — Ministry. A federal executive body responsible for developing state policy and legal regulation in a defined sphere of activity. Ministries are headed by ministers who are members of the Government. Unlike federal services and agencies, ministries do not exercise control and supervisory functions directly.

Mirovoy Sudya (Мировой судья) — Justice of the peace. A judge of the lowest level of the courts of general jurisdiction, hearing minor civil and criminal cases as a court of first instance. Mirovye sudi are appointed by regional legislative bodies and serve for a term of office. They handle cases with lower stakes, including small claims, minor administrative offenses, and family matters.

Moshennichestvo (Мошенничество) — Fraud. The acquisition of another person’s property or rights to property through deception or abuse of trust, criminalized under Article 159 of the Criminal Code. Fraud has several specialized variants, including fraud in credit, business, insurance, and digital spheres, introduced through amendments to combat evolving fraudulent practices.

N

Nasledovanie (Наследование) — Succession or inheritance. The legal process by which the property of a deceased person passes to heirs. Inheritance occurs either by will (according to the testator’s expressed intentions) or by operation of law (according to statutory shares). Succession law is governed by Part Three of the Civil Code.

Nasilstvennaya Smert (Насильственная смерть) — Violent death. A death resulting from external force, including homicide, suicide, and accidents. In criminal procedure, nasilstvennaya smert triggers a mandatory investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of death and to identify any criminal liability.

Neblagopriyatnaya Situatsiya (Неблагоприятная ситуация) — Adverse situation or unfavorable circumstances. A legal term used in administrative law and social welfare legislation to describe conditions that trigger state support obligations, such as natural disasters, economic crises, or personal emergencies requiring state intervention or compensation.

Nedvizhimost (Недвижимость) — Immovable property or real estate. Land plots, buildings, structures, and other objects firmly connected to the land. Rights to immovable property are subject to state registration in the Unified State Register of Real Estate. The legal regime for nedvizhimost differs significantly from that for movable property.

Nekomercheskaya Organizatsiya (Некоммерческая организация) — Non-commercial organization. A legal entity that does not have profit-making as its primary purpose and does not distribute profits among its participants. Non-commercial organizations include foundations, associations, religious organizations, and state corporations, and are subject to special regulation under the Law on Non-Commercial Organizations.

Neprikosnovennost (Неприкосновенность) — Inviolability. A constitutional principle protecting certain rights from arbitrary interference, including the inviolability of the person, home, private life, and property. Neprikosnovennost requires judicial authorization for searches, arrests, and intrusions into private life, subject to exceptions for legally established procedures.

Notarius (Нотариус) — Notary. A legal professional authorized to perform notarial acts including certifying transactions, witnessing signatures, authenticating documents, and managing estate matters. Russian notaries are public officials operating within a Latin-type notarial system. Certain legal transactions, particularly real estate transfers and powers of attorney, require notarial certification for validity.

O

Obvinyaemy (Обвиняемый) — Accused. A person against whom a formal criminal charge has been brought in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. The obvinyaemy enjoys procedural rights including the right to know the charge, to remain silent, to have defense counsel, to present evidence, and to participate in court proceedings.

Obzor (Обзор) — Survey or review. A periodic publication by the Supreme Court or the Constitutional Court summarizing judicial practice and providing guidance on the interpretation and application of legislation. Obzory are influential sources of guidance for lower courts, though they are not formally binding as precedent.

Obyazatelstvo (Обязательство) — Obligation. A legal relationship whereby one person (the debtor) is obliged to perform a certain act in favor of another person (the creditor), such as transferring property, performing work, or paying money. The law of obligations is the central component of Russian civil law, governed by Part One of the Civil Code.

Ohrana (Охрана) — Protection or guard. A legal concept encompassing the protection of rights, state security, and physical security. Ohrana appears in numerous legal contexts including environmental protection, labor protection, property protection, and state security. The term implies active measures to safeguard legally protected interests.

Okazanie (Оказание) — Rendering or provision. A term used in contract and administrative law to describe the act of providing services or assistance, such as okazanie yuridicheskoy pomoshchi (rendering legal assistance) or okazanie gosudarstvennykh uslug (provision of state services).

Organy (Органы) — Bodies or authorities. A general term for state organs, including legislative, executive, and judicial bodies. Organy gosudarstvennoy vlasti (state power bodies) exercise public authority at the federal, regional, and local levels. The term also appears in organy doznaniya (inquiry bodies) and organy predvaritelnogo sledstviya (preliminary investigation bodies).

Osoboe Proizvodstvo (Особое производство) — Special proceeding. A type of civil proceeding in which there is no dispute about law but a court determination is needed to establish a legal fact or status. Special proceedings cover cases such as adoption, recognition of a person as missing or deceased, and establishment of legally significant facts.

P

Pensions (Пенсия) — Pension. A regular state payment to citizens upon reaching retirement age, becoming disabled, or losing a breadwinner. The pension system includes insurance pensions, state pensions, and funded pensions, governed by a complex body of social security legislation.

Poderzhka (Поддержка) — Support. State assistance provided in various forms including financial support, social services, and institutional support. Gosudarstvennaya podderzhka is available to specific categories including small businesses, agricultural producers, families with children, and socially vulnerable groups.

Podryad (Подряд) — Contract for work or independent contractor agreement. A civil law contract under which one party (the contractor) undertakes to perform specified work and deliver the result to the other party (the customer), who undertakes to accept and pay for the work. Podryad is governed by Chapter 37 of the Civil Code.

Pokazanie (Показание) — Testimony. Oral or written statements given by a witness, victim, suspect, or accused during the course of legal proceedings. Pokazaniya are a form of evidence in criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings. False testimony may result in criminal liability for perjury.

Politsia (Полиция) — Police. The law enforcement agency within the Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for public order, crime prevention, and law enforcement. The modern Russian police were established by the 2011 Police Law, which replaced the Soviet-era militsiya. The police have broad powers including detention, search, and use of force.

Posrednik (Посредник) — Intermediary or mediator. A person who facilitates the resolution of disputes or the conclusion of transactions between parties. In dispute resolution, posrednik refers to a mediator who assists parties in reaching a settlement through negotiation. In commercial law, an intermediary facilitates contracts between producers and consumers.

Postanovlenie (Постановление) — Decree or ruling. A formal legal act issued by state bodies or courts. Court postanovleniya are procedural decisions that do not resolve the merits of the case. Government postanovleniya are subordinate legislative acts issued by the Government of the Russian Federation. The President also issues postanovleniya in certain matters.

Potrebitel (Потребитель) — Consumer. A natural person who purchases goods or services for personal, family, or household needs. Consumer rights are protected by the Law on Protection of Consumer Rights, which provides the right to information, safety, quality, and redress. Consumer protection is enforced by Rospotrebnadzor and through civil litigation.

Pravitelstvo (Правительство) — Government. The highest executive body, comprising the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers, and federal ministers. The Government directs the work of federal executive bodies, develops and executes the federal budget, and ensures the implementation of unified state policy.

Pravoporyadok (Правопорядок) — Legal order. The state of legality and legal stability in society, characterized by the actual implementation of legal norms and respect for legal rules. Pravoporyadok is a fundamental value of the rule-of-law state and is protected by the courts, procuracy, and law enforcement agencies.

Prezident (Президент) — President. The head of state, guarantor of the Constitution, and supreme commander of the armed forces. The President defines the basic directions of state policy, appoints the Government, possesses decree powers, and exercises broad constitutional authority. Presidential powers were significantly expanded by the 2020 constitutional amendments.

Prestupnost (Преступность) — Crime or criminality. The phenomenon of socially dangerous acts prohibited by criminal law. The concept of prestupnost encompasses both individual criminal acts and the aggregate state of crime in society. Criminological research examines the causes, patterns, and prevention of criminality in Russia.

Prisyazhnye (Присяжные) — Jurors. Laypersons who form a jury (sud prisyazhnykh) in criminal trials for the most serious offenses. A jury of 12 decides questions of guilt; the professional judge determines the sentence. The jury system has been restricted since 2018, reducing the number of eligible cases.

Prokuror (Прокурор) — Prosecutor. An official of the Procuracy responsible for state prosecution in criminal cases, supervision over compliance with laws, and oversight of investigative bodies. The prosecutor approves indictments, participates in court proceedings, and may challenge court decisions through appeal, cassation, and supervisory review.