B) Fill in the gaps with the word-combinations from part a)

Pre-reading task: Scan the text and entitle it.

The basic level of commercial courts comprises “commercial courts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation”. There are 81 such courts. These courts handle cases as the first instance court.

Appeals against the decisions of the first instance court are handle d by appellate courts. Now there are 20 appellate courts.

The third level courts are the Federal Territorial Commercial Courts. There are 10 such courts. They handle cases as an instance of cassation in relation to the courts.

The highest level of commercial court is the Supreme Commercial Court of the Russian Federation. The most important functions of the court is to issue decisions addressed to lower courts and to review cases by way of supervision.

The structure of the courts of general jurisdiction is provided by the Law on Court Organisation of 1996. The basic level of the system of the courts of general jurisdiction is the district court. In relation to the justices of the peace, district courts are the courts of a higher instance.The second level of courts are supreme courts of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation is the highest court within the system of courts of general jurisdiction.

The Constitutional Court is the only body that officially interprets the Constitution and can declare that a certain legal act is invalid.

The Court is competent to examine laws and legal acts at federal as well as at the regional level as regards to their compliance with the constitution.

The Constitutional Court can also resolve disputes about competence between state bodies if the dispute cannot be resolve d by other means.

Exercise 17