MOSCOW, February 18 (RAPSI) – The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation will be empowered to initiate revocation of the status of judges in case their acts discredit their honor and dignity; a respective executive order has been signed by President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier, the President signed an executive order facilitating the implementation of certain Constitutional powers of the President; among other measures the document envisaged that judges may be stripped of their status for the aforementioned acts. Among the bodies empowered to launch the respective procedure is the Civic Chamber.

Russia’s legislation stipulates that judges must refrain from committing any acts undermining the authority of the judiciary, the dignity of a judge, or provoking doubts as to his or her integrity and impartiality, Civic Chamber Secretary Lydia Mikheyeva noted.

According to the document, petitions submitted by the Civic Chamber, law enforcement agencies, local governments, political parties, registered NGOs, as well as federal mass media outlets are to be used as the basis for the preparation of materials to be referred to the Presidential Commission established for the preliminary study of the issues related to appointment and dismissal of judges. Having studied the documents, the Commission is to develop respective recommendations for the President or the head of the Presidential Executive Office.

The Civic Chamber will immediately react and forward its respective petitions to the President when such violations of the legislation are revealed, the Chamber Secretary stressed.

Case materials are to be studied within 60 days; in certain cases the President is empowered to extend this term, but not more than by 30 days, according to the document.