On March 30, 2026, the State Duma received bill №. 1191453-81 (hereinafter "bill"), which is planned to amend the CPC norm on alternative jurisdiction. The subject of the legislative initiative was the Government of the Russian Federation.
The bill under consideration is aimed at implementing Resolution No. 47-P of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation dated December 22, 2025.
By this resolution, the Constitutional Court recognized the CPC norm on the jurisdiction of a claim at the defendant's place of residence as unconstitutional, since it deprives victims of cases of embezzlement of money from bank accounts of real access to judicial protection. The reason was the complaint of a woman from whom fraudsters stole money from a bank account, and her claim for recovery of unjustified enrichment was returned by the court in connection with a violation of territorial jurisdiction. The Constitutional Court considered that such an order unfairly shifts the balance in favor of the defendant, creating convenience for him to participate and reducing his costs, while the victim has additional costs and difficulties in applying to the court.
The bill proposes to expand the list of situations on the basis of which the territorial jurisdiction of the case can be determined at the choice of the plaintiff. According to the text of the bill, a victim of crimes related to the theft of funds from a bank account will have the right to file a claim for recovery of unjustified enrichment from a person whose electronic means of payment were used in the commission of an offense, as well as a claim for compensation for damage caused by the crime, in court (1) at his place of residence or (2) at the place of the criminal case proceedings, including in the event of its suspension. At the same time, these claims should not be filed or resolved earlier, during the criminal proceedings.
With the adoption of the bill, victims of fraudsters will be able to file a claim not only to the court at the place of residence of the criminal, but also to the court at their place of residence, as well as to the court at the place of criminal proceedings. Thus, the consolidation of alternative jurisdiction will allow victims to minimize court costs by choosing a place convenient for them to consider the case, which ultimately should increase the availability of judicial protection.