Direct effect of the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Background. The relevance of the research problem is explained by the existing problems in the implementation of the principle of direct action of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the lack of research on this principle in the legal literature. The purpose of the study to examine the direct effect of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in conjunction with its supreme legal force. Materials and methods. The implementation of the research objectives was achieved based on the analysis of two main forms of direct action of the Constitution of the Russian Federation – direct and indirect (through laws). The author used the following research methods: dialectical approach, logical, institutional, formal legal, comparative legal methods. Results. The article proves that the direct effect of the Constitution of the Russian Federation transforms it from a political declaration into a normative legal act that works and is applied directly by a law enforcement officer, having the highest legal force. The features of the direct and indirect application of the Constitution of the Russian Federation are revealed. It is argued that the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 2020 significantly limited the rights of citizens to appeal to the Constitutional Court. Conclusions. The direct effect of the Constitution of the Russian Federation cannot be assessed without reference to its highest legal force, and the highest legal force cannot be implemented without the direct effect of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. It finds its expression in two main forms – direct and indirect (through laws). At the same time, the indirect effect of constitutional norms does not mean the negation of the direct effect of such norms. Here, the direct effect of the Constitution is expressed in the direct application of constitutional norms in current legislation by specifying them.