Legislation on Hunting in the Russian Federation: Trends of Development and the Experience of the Past

About the authors:

Elena F. Gladun, Cand. Sci. (Jur.), Professor, Department of State and Municipal Administration, University of Tyumen; efgladun@yandex.ru; ORCID: 0000-0003-2525-6638

Svetlana A. Sheinova, Head of the Legal Office, Department for Protection, Control and Regulation of the Use of Wildlife and Natural Habitat in the Tyumen Region; shs_lana15@mail.ru

Abstract:

This article examines the specifics of hunting legislation in different periods of its development, and it identifies the most significant characteristics of this area of legislation, from the Roman Law to the modern period. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that effective legal regulation of hunting stipulates rational, sustainable use of hunting resources and biological diversity.

The legal rules on hunting and conservation of hunting resources have been created in the Russian Federation for more than fifteen years. Yet, the basic law still triggers a heated debate in the academic and legal communities, while Russian lawyers, hunting specialists, hunters, and citizens (who care about the natural resources of the country) severely criticize it.

This article is the first attempt to make a comparative legal analysis of the Law of the Russian Empire dated 3 February 1892 “Hunting Regulations” and Federal Laws “On the Wildlife” and “Hunting and Preservation of Hunting Resources”.

The use of the historical and legal methods allows the authors to conclude that a significant part of the current legal norms governing hunting originates back in the late 20th century, and, moreover, is still relevant today. Nevertheless, a number of effective norms have been excluded in the process of changing ownership rights, land rights and other related legal relations in the period of the Soviet state.

The authors recommend incorporating some effective norms of the Russian Empire legislation into the contemporary Russian laws on hunting, which will contribute to the efficient development of this legal sphere of legal regulation.

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