ST. PETERSBURG, April 5 - RAPSI. Regional legislatures should consider the region's financial standing when awarding severance benefits to local deputies, according to a Constitutional Court ruling reported by RIA Novosti on Friday.

The court considered the issue at the request of the Archangelsk Regional Assembly. In 2009, the regional legislature passed a law on benefits to regional civil servants and deputies, stipulating a large severance package to deputies upon the termination of their service.

The prosecutor's office contested this decision, citing Paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Article 6 of the Labor Code, which states that additional guarantees to individuals holding specific posts are subject to the federal authorities.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the disputed move does not contradict the Labor Code because the constitution does not exclude the region's right to award additional benefits, as long as the constitution and federal legislation are observed.

However, the court ruled that the regional legislature has to take into account the reason why the deputy's employment has been terminated. "This severance benefit cannot be awarded in cases when a deputy's employment is terminated due to violations," the court stated.