Defining the list of sources of law within a normative framework as a strategy for strengthening certain aspects of Russia’s legal system

Abstract

This article outlines the practices of Russia and the Republic of Kazakhstan concerning the development of a normative framework that defines the system of sources of law. In Russia, the effort to create a clear and explicit list of sources (forms) of law has been a longstanding and widely discussed issue, which is, however, a paradox, as law enforcers should know the “format” or framework in which legal norms are articulated and have no doubt about it. The results of the study demonstrate that establishing a robust normative framework for defining the system of sources of law would offer clear guidance when determining legal norms applicable in specific cases and would streamline the decision-making process in situations of legal conflicts. Additionally, it could be advantageous to draw on the experience of the Republic of Kazakhstan in normatively defining a complete list of sources of national laws, provided that its approach is thoughtfully interpreted and creatively adjusted.

Keywords

• sources of law
• forms of law
• hierarchy of sources of law
• normative legal act
• principles of law
• normative legal contract
• legal custom