'Ukase' (Russian: указ, указы 'Ukaz' (plural 'Ukazy') ) in
Imperial Russia was a proclamation of the
tsar, government, or a religious leader (
patriarch) that had the force of law. An example is the "
Ems ukase" forbidding the public use of
Ukrainian. Adequate translations are "
edict" or "
decree" of
Roman law.
After the
Russian Revolution, a government proclamation of wide meaning was called a "decree" (Russian: декрет, dekret); more specific proclamations were called ''ukaz''. Both terms are usually translated as 'decree'.
According to the
Russian Federation's 1993 constitution, an ''ukaz'' is a Presidential decree. Such ukazes have the power of laws, but may not alter the regulations of existing laws, and may be superseded by laws passed by the
Federal Assembly.
See also
★
Rule by decree