The presidential press service reports that the drafts stipulate the establishment of a common pension age for all categories of judges, 70 years. "The drafts are designed to ensure the common status for judges in Russia and strengthen the guarantees of the judges' independence," says the press service report.
The judges of federal courts appointed for the first time (by presidential decree) shall serve (as before) three years, after which they can be reappointed to the same post for life, until they reach the pension age set for judges.
The judges of the peace appointed (elected) for the first time will serve for a term stipulated by each Federation member but no more than 5 years. The drafts stipulate that in case of reappointment (reelection) the judges of the peace shall be appointed (elected) for a term stipulated by each Federation member but no few than 5 years until they reach the pension age set for judges.
The provision on the length of term for judges of the Constitutional Court covers all acting judges of the court elected before the enforcement of the Constitution or appointed by the Federation Council.
The Constitution says in Point 5 of Section Two, "After the Constitution has come into force, judges of all courts of the Russian Federation shall retain their powers until the term for which they were elected expired." It proceeds from this provision that it covers all judges whose term of service is stipulated by law effective at the time of the election.
The draft federal law "On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation 'On the Status of Judges'" and the federal laws "On Judges of the Peace" and "On Amendments to the Law of the Russian Federation" stipulate a new wording for Point 4 of Article 11 of the Law "On the Status of Judges," according to which the Federation members may determine the term of service or the pension age for the judges of constitutional (statutory) courts of Federation members.
