Organization of legislative activities in the Soviet state

The subject. The role of lawmaking in the activities of the state is noted, which substantiates the relevance of its study.

The aim of the article is to identify the organizational forms of lawmaking in the Soviet period, as well as to select tested practices that correspond to the domestic legal tradition and meet the demands of the modern state and law.

The comparative-legal, formal-legal, and institutional methods are used. It allows to demonstrate the evolution of the Soviet legislative process in its unity and diversity throughout the entire Soviet period.

Main results and cocnclusions. The following stages of the organization of legislative work have been identified: the first stage – the end of 1917–1936; the second – 1936 – the mid-1950s; the third – the mid-1950s – the late 1980s. A substantive analysis of the content of each stage has been carried out.

At the first stage, the organization of lawmaking was subordinated to the solution of a strategic task – the creation of Soviet legislation. At the second stage, legislative activity is included in a unified legislative mechanism and acts as a means of centralizing state power and strengthening socialist legality.

At the third stage, such forms of legislative activity were institutionalized that combined the authoritative powers of authorities, scientific institutions, and the legal community. The participation of citizens and individual professional groups in the discussion of draft laws became widespread. This participation was not formal and influenced the content of legislative acts.

The organization of draft law work is presented dynamically, showing the continuity or discreteness of individual organizational methods. The qualitative level of draft law work by the end of the Soviet period was assessed.

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