President of the Court

in the USSR, the person who heads a judicial organ. A president of a krai, oblast, or city court or of a court of an autonomous oblast or autonomous okrug is elected for five years at the time of election of the court he will head, at a session of the corresponding soviet of people’s deputies. The president of the Supreme Court of the USSR and the presidents of the supreme courts of Union and autonomous republics are elected at sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and of the supreme Soviets of Union and autonomous republics. In a raion where several people’s judges have been elected, the raion soviet of people’s deputies—in a city without raion subdivision, the city soviet—confirms the president of the raion or city court from among the elected people’s judges.

The president of a court presides over court sessions, directs the generalization of judicial practice, and conducts organizational work. The president of a court other than a raion or city people’s court has the right to direct the court to return the case and to make objections to illegal or unfounded sentences, decisions, and rulings that have entered into legal force.