On the mechanism of decision-making in emergency situations

Abstract

Emergency and extraordinary situations caused by various causes, including the spread of dangerous diseases, are the realities of our time. They occur suddenly, change the course of life and require special decisions to protect the population from their consequences and ensure the orderly functioning of public, including social and labor relations. The complexity of responding to these circumstances is complicated by the fact that it is impossible to model the content of such decisions in advance, especially taking into account the unforeseen and unpredictable nature of the emergency itself. Nevertheless, legislation should contain rules that define the mechanism for making such decisions, which would ensure respect for basic human rights and freedoms in emergency situations. This mechanism should be characterized by speed, flexibility and enforceability of decisions. Based on the analysis of the current legislation, it is concluded that it is not suitable for rapid response to such situations, since the entire system consists of collegial bodies and provides for a long period of coordination of decisions. The introduction of a single decision-making entity into this system will allow for a faster response. Such a subject in the circumstances that have developed in connection with the coronavirus pandemic is the President of the Russian Federation, who, on the one hand, being the guarantor of the Constitution, is called upon to take measures aimed at ensuring the operation of its norms, on the other hand, it has the ability and authority to make operational decisions of various kinds, both normative and managerial, applying to these extraordinary circumstances. The mechanism of decision-making in emergencies should provide, or the loss of such Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation forces with the cessation of these circumstances or, if their action is beyond the temporal boundaries of such circumstances, shall be adopted in accordance to the usual period order the proper form of normative legal act, included in the system of sources of labour law. This will ensure that such emergency measures are legitimized.