ABSTRACT
Legal protection of the Soviet economic system is designed both to deter conduct that threatens the system and to provide compensation for damage caused to the system. Larger enterprises and organizations have their own legal departments. The inability of the Soviet economic system to fill the needs of the Soviet people creates numerous opportunities for private enterprise. Soviet law follows the continental European system of having an elaborate and formal pretrial investigation, leaving few or no surprises for the trial itself. Both the Party discipline system and various branches of Soviet law are used to protect the Soviet economic system. The Statute of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union contains some very vague provisions giving a general outline of the procedures for imposing responsibility on a Party member. Criminal law protection of the Soviet economic system is very highly developed.
