Some issues related to application of civil law by analogy

Fundamental impossibility of gapless legal regulation of property and non-property relations between the initiative entities with autonomous will who are in equal legal status and autonomous in terms of organization and property, necessitates the use of tools such as analogy of statute and analogy of law. Regular and typical lagging of civil law behind economic development requires a fairly rare resort to the analogy, but this institution becomes even more significant in specific, transitional, reform oriented periods of society’s life. In modern conditions of development of Russian civil law the need to understand a number of theoretical problems of the statute and law analogy theory and to apply it in strict compliance with the basic principles of civil law has become urgent. First of all, negative answer to the question whether the application of civil law by analogy is undesirable phenomenon, which must be eliminated, is substantiated; it is shown that the use of analogy exposes identified gaps to the legislator and does not prevent it to regulate overlooked relation in its sole discretion, besides, the very proclamation of the possibility to use the analogy in civil relations contributes to implementation of right vesting character of civil regulation and its preferential optionality. Positive answer is given to the second pressing question, i.e. admissibility of the application by analogy of not only the statute but also other acts containing norms of civil law, as well as of quasi-rulemaking court stipulations; corresponding commendable court practices are shown. Particular attention is given to the possibility to use, as analogy, special imperative norms, that provide for the origination or termination of restrictions and encumbrances of civil rights, as well as the measures of civil responsibility. Criticism relating to the use of such analogy as contradicting to the principles of civil law established by Art. 1, CC RF, is expressed. Proposals to refine the wording of Art. 6, CC RF, are offered.