Procedures
Separate civil, arbitrazh and administrative procedure codes
Ordinary civil claims follow the 2002 Code of Civil Procedure before magistrates and district courts, commercial disputes go to the arbitrazh courts under their own code, and public-law claims follow the 2015 Code of Administrative Procedure.
Key rules
- Magistrates hear small claims; district courts are the general first instance.
- Commercial disputes between businesses go to the arbitrazh court system.
- The general limitation period is three years, capped at ten from the breach.
- Appeal lies within one month, followed by two levels of cassation.
Governing law
- Code of Civil Procedure (2002)
- Arbitrazh Procedure Code (2002)
- Code of Administrative Procedure (2015)
In practice
The arbitrazh system publishes its full case file and judgments online through kad.arbitr.ru, which makes counterparty litigation history unusually easy to check before contracting.