Ukase - wikipedia Ukase Example of a modern ukaz : an ambassadorial appointment. An ukase, or ukaz ( / juːˈkeɪs / ; Russian : указ ( ʊˈkas ), formally `` imposition '' ), in Imperial Russia, was a proclamation of the tsar, government, or a religious leader ( patriarch ) that had the force of law. `` Edict '' and `` decree '' are adequate translations using the terminology and concepts of Roman law. From the Russian term, the word ukase has entered the English language with the meaning of `` any proclamation or decree ; an order or regulation of a final or arbitrary nature ''. Contents 1 History 2 Executive Order of the President of Russia 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links History Prior to the 1917 October 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. After the 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 ''. Executive order of the president of Russia Main article : Decree of the President of Russia According to the Russian Federation 's 1993 constitution, an ukaz is a Presidential decree. The English term `` Executive Order '' is also used by the official website as an equivalent of the Russian ukaz. As normative legal acts, such ukazes have a status of by - law in the hierarchy of legal acts ( along with a Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation, instructions and directions of other officials ). Presidential decrees may not alter the regulations of existing legal sources - Russia 's international agreements, the Constitution of Russia, Federal Constitutional Laws, Federal Laws and laws of Russian regions - and may be superseded by any of these laws. For example, thanks to Article 15 of the Constitution of Russia, the European Convention on Human Rights, as an international document, has higher status than any Russian law or presidential executive order. See also Rule by decree Ukase of 1821 Decree of the President of Russia Ukase Bulgaro Notes ^ Jump up to : OED staff 1989. Jump up ^ Chisholm 1911. Jump up ^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Ukaz ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 27 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. p. 564. Jump up ^ See in Russian, in English Jump up ^ `` Universally recognized principles and norms of international law as well as international agreements of the Russian Federation should be an integral part of its legal system. If an international agreement of the Russian Federation establishes rules, which differ from those stipulated by law, then the rules of the international agreement shall be applied. '' References OED staff ( 1989 ). `` ukase, n '' ( Second ed. ). Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1921. External links The dictionary definition of ukase at Wiktionary Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ukase&oldid=848196277 '' Categories : Government of Russia Russian law Decrees Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica Articles containing Russian - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Български Català Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Қазақша Latina Nederlands Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska Українська 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 30 June 2018, at 10 : 47 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: imperial russian edict or decree that had the force of law
Answer: ukase