Plenum of the Court

in the USSR, a session of the members of the highest judicial organ of the USSR or a Union republic. Plenums are formed by the Supreme Court of the USSR and the supreme courts of the Union republics, with the exception of the RSFSR, where the function of the plenum is performed by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the RSFSR. A plenum of a supreme court of a Union republic includes the president of the court and his deputies and members of the republic’s supreme court. The procurator and minister of justice of the republic also take part in the plenums.

Plenums are convoked at least once every two months in some republics and at least once every three months in others. Their decisions take the form of decrees adopted by a simple majority of votes. The plenum of the supreme court of a republic provides directives to the courts of that republic on questions of the application of republic legislation in hearing civil and criminal cases. It makes presentations to the presidium of the supreme soviet of the republic on issues subject to resolution by law and on issues of the interpretation of laws of the republic. It hears reports by presiding judges of the judicial divisions of the supreme court of the republic and ratifies the divisions’ membership.