Jump to content

Ukase

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Example of a Soviet-eraukaz:the appointment of the Presidium of theCouncil of Ministers of the USSR,1964.

InImperial Russia,aukase(/jˈkz,-ˈks/[1][2]) orukaz(‹See Tfd›Russian:указ[ʊˈkas]) was a proclamation of thetsar,government,[3]or a religious leadership (e.g.,Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'or theMost Holy Synod) that had the force of law. "Edict"and"decree"are adequate translations using the terminology and concepts ofRoman law.

From the Russian term, the wordukasehas entered the English language with the meaning of "any proclamation or decree; an order or regulation of a final or arbitrary nature".[2]

History

[edit]

Prior to the 1917October Revolution,the term applied in Russia to an edict or ordinance, legislative or administrative, having the force of law. A ukase proceeded either from the emperor or from the senate, which had the power of issuing such ordinances for the purpose of carrying out existing decrees. All such decrees were promulgated by the senate. A difference was drawn between the ukase signed by the emperor’s hand and his verbal ukase, or order, made upon a report submitted to him.[4]

After the Revolution, a government proclamation of wide meaning was called a "decree"(Russian: декрет, dekret); more specific proclamations were calledukaz.Both terms are usually translated as "decree".[citation needed]

Example of a modernukaz:the ambassadorial appointment ofSergey Kislyakto the United States in 2008.

According to theRussian Federation's 1993 constitution,aDecree of the President of Russiais referred to asukaz.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Wells, John C.(2008).Longman Pronunciation Dictionary(3rd ed.). Longman.ISBN978-1-4058-8118-0.
  2. ^abOED staff 1989.
  3. ^Chisholm 1911.
  4. ^One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Ukaz".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 564.

References

[edit]
  • OED staff (1989)."ukase, n."(Second ed.).Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1921.
[edit]

The dictionary definition ofukaseat Wiktionary