Legal issue: the constitutionality of provisions which preclude imposing upon legal entities a fine which amount would be lower than the minimal level provided for in the Code.
Ratio decidendi: in cases when the minimаl amount of fine in lower than 100 thousand RUR, the punishment may be disproportionate, and its individualization - difficult; for small enterprises and for non-commercial entities it may entail unduly heavy encumbrances and even lead to their liquidation. At the same time, the relieve from administrative responsibility on the grounds of insignificance of the infringement was designed for completely different goals and may not compensate for the rigidity of the rules in question. Therefore, the contested provisions do not correspond to the Constitution to the extent, in which they do not enable to ensure individualization and proportionality of administrative punishments; the federal legislator must amend them; until the amendments are made, the reduction of fine below the minimal level in cases when such level is 100 thousand RUR shall be allowed only through court proceedings.