The National Centre of Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus (hereinafter also referred as Centre or initialized as NCLLR) is the scientific and practical public institution providing for the preparation of drafts of legal normative acts, methodic guidance of rule-making activity, carrying out research studies in the field of law as well as the training of scientists of higher level of proficiency.

For the purpose to raise the efficiency of the law-making activity and to strengthen the role of the legal science in ensuring the socio-economic and political development of the republic the Centre has been formed in accordance with the Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus from 13 December 2007 No 630 On certain measures for improving the law-making activity and scientific researches in the field of law on basis of the former National Centre of Legislative Activity under the Auspices of the President of the Republic of Belarus by joining to it the public scientific institution Institute of the State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

The general management of the Centre shall be carried out by the Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus. The Director of the Centre shall be appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic of Belarus.

The legal status shall be determined by the Statute On the National Centre of Legislation and Legal Research of the Republic of Belarus approved by the Edict of the President of the Republic of Belarus from 13 December 2007 No 630 On certain measures for improving the lawmaking activity and scientific researches in the field of law.

The Centre shall be legal successor as regards any rights and duties of the public scientific institution The Institute of the State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

Competence of the Centre

Pursuant to its basic functions the Centre shall:

• develop concepts on improvement of the legislation, State programs of preparation of drafts of legal normative acts, annual plans of preparation of draft laws and submit them in due order for approval (approbation, concordance) by the President of the Republic of Belarus, carry out the control over realization of the above mentioned programs and plans;
• perform methodic organizing and guidance of preparation of drafts, develop, summarize and apply new advanced technologies in view to prepare drafts of legal normative acts;
• directly elaborate drafts of legal normative acts with the exception of drafts, the preparation of which is assigned to other State bodies (organizations), and work up drafts of international acts, the preparation of which is assigned to the Centre;
• implement the compulsory juridical expert examination of the drafts laws to be submitted to the House of Representatives of National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, of amendments and (or) additions into draft laws brought by the House of Representatives of National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus;
• develop priority guidelines of legal scientific researches, independently implement in a legislative way of scientific researches and developments in the field of law, including basic and applied research, experimental works aimed to increase the extent of knowledge in the field of law and to raise the efficiency of those application including the ensuring of the law-making activity;
• carry out analytical and scientific researches of position, progress trends and practice of application of the legislation; develop proposals on its improvement;
• contribute to the development of jurisprudence, submit to respective organizations proposals on themes of research in the field of law;
• develop recommendations on use of results obtained in the course of scientific researches and contribute to their practical application;
• carry out comparative legal researches of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus and of the legislations of foreign states;
• implement the forming of scientists of higher level of proficiency in the field of law by means of post-graduate study;
• act in established order as directing agency responsible for government programs of basic researches;
• coordinate the carried scientific researches with other scientific organizations; interact with scientific organizations and institutes of higher education in the development of scientific investigations and in the forming of scientists for juridical branches;
• cooperate with State bodies, scientific organizations, other legal and physical persons of the Republic of Belarus, as well as with international organizations and interstate structures on issues within the competence of the Centre;
• interact with the Higher Certifying Commission of the Republic of Belarusand with the respective boards going in for theses for academic degrees in the field of law within institutes of higher education and scientific organizations;
• participate in accomplishment of interstate scientific programs and projects, implementing the international cooperation on matters within the competence of the Centre;
• undertake due actions to systematize the legislation, and also to provide preparation and conducting of the Code of laws of the Republic of Belarus;
• organize activities on improvement of professional skills of officials who belong to the staff of legal services of State bodies and similar organizations dealing with issues of rule-making activity; organize conferences (symposia, seminars etc.) on scientific issues of current importance in the field of law;
• interpret in due way issues on application of the legislation regulating the rule-making activity;
• participate in the development and issue of scientific and practical commentaries of codes and other laws as well in issue of scientific magazines;
• carry out other functions as stipulated by legal regulations.

In order to implement its functions the Centre is entitled:

• in compliance with the legislation, to request and to receive in established way from the State bodies, legal and physical persons the documents being necessary for the realization of activity of the Centre;
• to use State (including governmental) postal and communication facilities and communications;
• to conclude within the frames of its competence contracts with State bodies, legal and physical persons, and also with international organizations;
• to form analytical and other working groups for carrying out of scientific researches at the Centre and for realization of other powers of the Centre.