Representative of Authority

(predstavitel’ vlasti), according to Soviet law, an official who is invested with the rights and duties necessary to perform the functions of agencies of state power or administration. In conformity with these rights and duties, a representative of authority can issue orders to citizens, establishments, and organizations that must be carried out. Such powers are possessed by, among others, employees of militia agencies, the state sanitary inspection service, and the state fire protection service. Representatives of authority characteristically make primary use of persuasive methods, but in certain cases coercive measures can be used. Within the limits of their authority they are obligated to act in strict conformity with the law.