This review outlines the main trends in criminal and criminal procedure legislation over the past year that are relevant to the business community. A distinctive feature of Russian anti-crime legislation is its continuous and dynamic evolution, and the past year proved no exception.
In 2023, the Criminal Code was amended 15 times and the Criminal Procedure Code 18 times—slightly fewer than in 2022 (20 and 25 amendments respectively). On average, an amendment to the Criminal Code or the Criminal Procedure Code was introduced every 11 days.
While many of these changes were targeted or purely technical—intended to correct shortcomings in earlier amendments and therefore of interest mainly to sectoral specialists and academics—some are likely to have a tangible impact on the business climate as early as next year.
The most significant developments for the business sector involved amendments in the areas of taxation, competition protection, and export and customs controls, reflecting the broader trend towards strengthening measures for replenishing the state budget through administrative means.
From a procedural perspective, particular attention should be paid to new safeguards for entrepreneurs in pre-trial detention, as well as the substantial expansion of the list of offences for which criminal proceedings may be discontinued upon compensation of damages.
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