Joint Jurisdiction

On matters of joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation, federal laws must be issued and, in accordance with them, the legislation and other regulation of the subjects of the Russian Federation shall be adopted. If the law of a local jurisdiction fails to comply with the federal statute, it shall not be applied.

Article 72 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation is included:

ensuring compliance of the constitutions and laws of the republics, charters, laws, and other regulations of the territories, regions, federal cities, autonomous regions, and autonomous areas with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws;

protection of the rights and freedoms of the individual and citizen; protection of the rights of ethnic minorities; maintenance of the rule of law and public order, public safety; and border zone regulation;

issues of the possession, use, and management of land, mineral resources, water, and other natural resources;

allocation of state property;

management of natural resources, protection of the environment and ecological safety; specially protected natural reserves; and protection of historical and cultural monuments;

general questions of upbringing, education, science, culture, physical culture and sports;

coordination of health issues, protection of the family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood; and social protection including social security;

implementing measures to combat catastrophes, natural disasters, epidemics, and eliminating the consequences thereof;

establishment of general guidelines for taxation and levies in the Russian Federation;

administrative, administrative-procedure, labor, family, housing, land, water, and forestry legislation and legislation on the natural resources and environmental protection;

personnel of the judiciary and law-enforcement agencies; the bar and notaries;

protection of the original environment and traditional way of life of small ethnic communities;

establishment of general guidelines for the organization of a system of agencies of state power and local self-government;

coordination of the international and external economic relations of the subjects of the Russian Federation, and compliance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation.

The provisions of this Article is equally applied to the republics, territories, regions, federal cities, autonomous regions and autonomous areas.

Jurisdiction of the Federal Subjects

The jurisdiction of the Russian Federation is very wide but there are still many important matters left to the subjects of the federation.

Article 73 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states that outside of the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation on issues within the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation, the subjects of the Russian Federation is  exercised the entire spectrum of state power.

The subjects of the Russian Federation have their own jurisdiction and are competent to enact legislation.  The subjects have full and exclusive jurisdiction over all issues except those listed as matters of federal or joint competence.