MOSCOW, September 23 (RAPSI) – Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma a bill envisaging that judges and members of their families are to be prohibited to have bank accounts abroad.

The document is to introduce a new provision in the law on the status of judges in Russia setting forth grounds for termination of the term of office for certain categories of judges on the submission of the President.

Among such grounds the bill cites misbehavior of judges; failure to comply with requirements, restrictions, and prohibitions set forth by the federal law on combating corruption; termination of Russian citizenship, acquisition of foreign nationality or obtaining of any document confirming the right of a Russian citizen to permanent residence in a foreign state; failure to comply with the prohibition to have bank accounts, keep cash and valuables in foreign banks outside the territory of the Russian Federation, have and use foreign financial instruments on the part of a judge, his or her spouse and underage children; engage in activities incompatible with judicial office.

The bill also envisages that consideration of petitions of judges as to termination of their terms of office is to be suspended in case the President has already submitted a similar requirement to the upper house of Russia’s Parliament.

The approval of the bill will facilitate better transparency, quality, and authority of the judiciary, according to the President.