Russian Legal Glossary: A–C

This glossary explains thirty Russian legal terms from A to C that foreign clients meet in contracts, court papers and letters from lawyers. Each entry gives the transliterated Russian word, its meaning and where it matters in practice. Attorney Elena Petrova compiled the list for English-speaking readers.

The Advokat and the Bar

• Advokat — a lawyer admitted to the bar after an exam, the only one allowed to act as criminal defence counsel.
• Advokatskaya palata — the regional chamber of advokats that admits members and handles complaints.
• Advokatskaya taina — advokat secrecy; information linked to legal help cannot be disclosed or used as evidence.
• Advokatsky zapros — a formal request by an advokat to state bodies and companies for documents.
• Advokatskoe obrazovanie — the form of practice: a college, bureau, legal consultation or solo office.

Courts and Levels of Review

• Arbitrazhny sud — a state commercial court for disputes between businesses. It is not private arbitration.
• Apellyatsiya — appeal; a second instance reviews facts and law.
• Apellyatsionnaya zhaloba — the appeal document, filed through the court that gave the decision.
• Cassatsiya (kassatsiya) — cassation; review of rulings in force, limited to questions of law.
• Chastnaya zhaloba — a complaint against a procedural ruling, such as a refusal to accept a claim.

Property and Enforcement

• Arest imushchestva — an asset freeze imposed by a court, investigator or bailiff.
• Arbitrazhny upravlyayushchy — the insolvency trustee appointed in bankruptcy.
• Bankrotstvo — insolvency proceedings for a company or an individual.
• Bremya soderzhaniya — the owner's duty to maintain property and pay its taxes and upkeep.

Family and Personal Status

• Alimenty — child or spouse support paid by court order or notarised agreement.
• Brachny dogovor — prenuptial or marital agreement, valid only in notarised form.
• Bezvestno otsutstvuyushchy — a person declared missing by court.

Documents and Formalities

• Apostil — a stamp that makes a foreign document valid in Russia without consular legalisation.
• Akt — a signed record, for example of delivery, inspection or completed work.
• Aktsept — acceptance of an offer, which concludes the contract.

Proof, Rulings and Payments

• Bremya dokazyvaniya — the burden of proof; each party proves the facts it relies on.
• Chastnoe opredelenie — a separate ruling a court sends to an official about breaches of law.
• Chastichnoe udovletvorenie — a claim granted only in part, for example a lower amount.
• Avans — an advance payment under a contract, returned if the deal falls through.

Criminal Law Basics

• Alibi — proof that the accused was elsewhere at the time.
• Amnistiya — amnesty; release from punishment by a State Duma act.
• Affekt — a sudden strong emotional state that lowers liability.
• Bezdeistvie — failure to act, when the law required action.
• Chastnoe obvinenie — private prosecution; for minor offences, the victim files the charge directly with a magistrate.
• Chistoserdechnoe priznanie — a colloquial name for a voluntary confession; the court may treat it as mitigating.

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