MOSCOW, May 13 (RAPSI) - The State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, passed in both the second and third reading on Friday a bill that would authorize military police to ensure security of military judges and members of their families, RIA Novosti reported.

The initiative was submitted by the government and proposed amendments to the federal constitutional law “On Military Courts of the Russian Federation”.

Currently, measures to ensure the safety of military courts’ judges, judges of judicial panels for military personnel, members of their families as well as measures to ensure the safekeeping of their property are carried out by internal affairs agencies and commanders of military units.

Under the bill, Russia’s Military Police officers will discharge these duties on equal terms with the aforementioned bodies.