Judicial supervision (Soviet Union)

{{Short description|A concept from the law of the Soviet Union}}

In the law of the Soviet Union, judicial supervision ({{langx|ru|судебный надзор}}) was a system for review of court sentences, orders, and decrees that have entered into legal force. It was regulated by the Article 48 of the Basic Principles of Criminal Legislation of the USSR and the Union Republics. A review under this system could be carried out only upon the request of a procurator, the chairman of a court, or deputy chairman to whom this right was assigned by legislation.[https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Judicial+Supervision Judicial supervision], Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 1979[https://gufo.me/dict/bse/Надзор Надзор (юридический)] [Supervision (legal)], Great Soviet EncyclopediaP. Ia. Trubnikov, [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2753/RUP1061-19400902188 Review of Decisions Through Judicial Supervision], Soviet Law and Government, Volume 9, 1970, Issue 2, {{doi|10.2753/RUP1061-19400902188}}

It is distinguished from cassation.

Judicial supervision was carried out by the bodies of Supreme Courts of the Union Republics, and in a limited number of situations by the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union.{{cite encyclopedia |first= |last= |date=4 June 2021 |orig-year=2018 |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-respublikos-auksciausiasis-teismas/ |title=Lietuvos Respublikos Aukščiausiasis Teismas |encyclopedia=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras |language=lt |access-date=5 November 2023}}

{{cite encyclopedia |first=Jonas |last=Misiūnas | editor1-first=Jonas |editor1-last=Zinkus| encyclopedia=Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija | title=Aukščiausiasis Teismas | year=1985–1988 | publisher=Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija |language=lt | volume=I | location=Vilnius |oclc=20017802 | pages=132 |display-editors=etal}}

William Partlett argues that this practice, historically grounded in the legal practice of the Russian Empire, was "justified as a way of ensuring a centralised vertical of power for Party policy" and enforced legality by reviewing the administrative and judicial decisions. This practice was re-used in legal lystems of other communist states.William Partlett, [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/socialist-law-in-socialist-east-asia/historical-roots-of-socialist-law/15328E5E574AFF853A31E48AC9319034 "The Historical Roots of Socialist Law"], In: Socialist Law in Socialist East Asia, pp. 37 - 71, {{doi|10.1017/9781108347822.003}}

A lower-level of supervision to ensure legality was the {{ill|prosecutorial supervision|ru|Прокурорский надзор}}.