Throughout its long-term history the Institute has always been acknowledged as a leading scientific centre playing significant role in the development of the national law science.
The Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation is the oldest centre of the Russian legal science. Established more than 80 years ago, it entered the XXI century with confidence confirming its repute by new scientific achievements, great contribution into the national legislation improvement, being one of the recognized scientific schools educating legal scholars. The Institute is always ready for mutually beneficial cooperation with all interested parties of this country and other states.
The Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Russian Federation Government was established in 1925. Originally its activities were governed by a number of people's commissariats of the RSFSR. The Institute had maintained its interdepartmental status for many years. In 1934, it was transferred under the supervision of the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR, the People's Commissariat for Justice of the RSFSR, and in 1963, under the supervision of the Legal Commission of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. In 1988, the Institute passed under the supervision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and in 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation. The Government of the Russian Federation has been the Institute's founder since 1994.
Prominent Russian lawyers worked here: M. Agarkov, N. Alexandrov, E. Ametistov, B. Antimonov, S.Abramov, T. Aparova, E. Astrakhan, S. Bratus, A. Vengerov, A. Venediktov, V. Galkin, M. Gernet, A. Gertsenzon, I. Golyakov, I. Gringolts, D. Genkin, M. Grodzinsky, V. Dozortsev.M. Isaev,S. Karinskyl. Kazmin,S. Kechekyan, M. Kirichenko, I. Kuznetsov, L. Lunts, A. Mitskevitch, V. Nikitinsky, B. Nikiforov, I. Novitsky, I. Pan-kratov, A. Pergament, V. Perttsik, I. Petrov, A. Pigolkin, A. Pi-ontkovsky, G. Polyanskaya, V. Popova, V. Rakhmilovich, F. Reshet-nikov, I. Samoshchenko, A. Stavtseva, A. Trainin, B. Utevsky, E. Fleishits, S. Yushkov.
The Institute's name reflects two main directions of its activities. The first one is research on the main branches of the national legislation and their development tendencies. The second one is comparative law research on the legislation and law enforcement practice of foreign states.
The Institute's structure is determined subject to these directions. Currently it includes 17 scientific departments doing research on the national and foreign law; the Centre for Economic and Legal Issues of the National and Municipal Administration; scientific library; department of scientific information on legislation; postgraduate school; editorial office; some other scientific auxiliary departments.
In 2007, the Board of Trustees was formed in accordance with the new Articles of Association of the Institute approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The Board of Trustees assists in enhancing the ties between the science and practice and extension of research directions. The Chairman of the Board is S. E. Naryshkin, Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation.
In accordance with the regulations of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Institute is responsible for participation in preparation of lawmaking plans of the Government of the Russian Federation, development of federal draft laws, making scientific legal due diligence of federal law concepts and drafts, and other regulatory documents under consideration of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The Institute provides scientific legal support for activities of the Government of the Russian Federation and other superior bodies of public authorities. The number of addresses to the Institute has been growing from year to year. Thus, if in 2004, the Institute received more than 2,000 orders and requests, in 2005, it was more than 2,200 and in 2006, more than 2,700.
In 2006, the Institute prepared more than 800 conclusions on federal law drafts and more than 200 analytical materials by the order of the Government of the Russian Federation, at requests of the Presidential Executive Office, the Council of Federation, the State Duma, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, and the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation.
The Institute's employees take an active part in the work of consulting and advisory bodies of the President, the Government, chambers of the Federal Assembly, the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation (the Presidential Commission for Improving Public Administration and Justice; the Presidential Council for Enhancement of Judicial System; the Lawmaking Commission of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Governmental Commission for Administrative Reform; the Governmental Commission for Enhancement of Interaction of Federal Executive Authorities and Executive Authorities of Subjects of the Russian Federation; scientific expert councils of the Chairman of the Council of Federation and the Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Scientific Council of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, etc.).
It should be noted that the Institute has made a great contribution into the preparation of the Constitution, the Civil Code, the Land Code, the Code of Administrative Offences, the Labour Code, the Arbitration Procedural Code, the Civil Procedural Code, and many other framework acts of the Russian Federation.
In 1994, by the order of the President of the Russian Federation the Institute developed the Russian Legislation Development Concepts, which contained the doctrinal forecasting of the development of all its branches. Later they were republished (1995, 1998, 2004), reflecting changes in public relations and laws. The concepts set a high lawmaking standard, which allows determining the foreseeable level and quality of the laws of the Russian Federation.
One of the Institute's practical tasks is monitoring of the federal laws and laws of subjects of the Russian Federation. Analytical and information reviews on legal regulation of public relations are made on its base.
A high level of lawmaking works of the Institute is in many ways ensured by an inextricable tie between theory and practice, which to a great extent is supported by the research done for public authorities of the Russian Federation (the State Duma, the Presidential Executive Office, ministries of education and science, of public health and social development, internal affairs, industry and power industry, information technologies and communication, agriculture, federal agencies for construction and housing and public services, education, science and innovations, culture and cinematography, anti-monopoly service, etc.). The Institute also does research at requests of subjects of the Russian Federation. The customers for the works by the Institute include such regions as Vologda Region, Nizhni Novgorod Region, Orel Region, Tver Region, Tyumen Region, Moscow, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, etc. The Institute has given its conclusions to such large organizations as Russian Railways, the Diplomatic Corps Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Roszagransobstvennost, Monetny Dvor, Vnesheconombank, First Czech-Russian Bank, VIP-Bank, Rosneft, Transneft, MTS, MGTS, Vimpelcom, Comstar, Rostelecom, Transtelecom, Russian Association of Motor Insurers, RK Garant, etc.
In its lawmaking activities, the Institute makes good use of the results of scientific research on the regulations of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Council of Europe, the European Union, other regional and international associations, and the laws of Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Canada, Poland, Serbia, the USA, Ukraine, France, Czech Republic, Croatia and other states.