Category: Blog

Posted on

Call for papers: International Conference “Law in the Times of War: Conflicts, Legal Responses and Legal Solutions”

The event is organized by Aleksanteri Institute and Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki

Dates: 28-29 October 2024

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Deadline for proposals: 15 May 2024

Call for papers

The Faculty of Law in cooperation with Aleksanteri Institute of the University of Helsinki is pleased to announce the annual conference organised by the Development of Russian Law research project, which will take place in Helsinki on October 28-29, 2024. This conference continues the series of workshops, seminars, and conferences originated in comparative legal scholarship on post-Soviet law and legal transformations, organized by the Faculty of Law since 2008.

Russian aggression against Ukraine perpetrated on 24 February 2024 changed the agenda for legal research and practice not only in the region, but worldwide. It highlighted the need for profound change in approaches to international law, security, rule of law and other fundamental concepts that were coined after WWII and with the emergence of the UN as a guarantor of new, peaceful international legal order.

We would like to invite scholars and legal partitioners to reflect upon how law operates in the times of war, providing a comparative context for seeking legal solutions to end Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

We encourage submissions of individual papers and full panels in the following themes and beyond:

  •  International law of war: what are the boundaries of (il)legal?
  •  Legal theories of war: when the war is (un)justified?
  •  Criminal prosecution of war crimes: are the criminal tribunals (in)effective?
  •  Humanitarian law: civilians and protection under international law;
  •  Gender and war: sexual violence in conflict and beyond;
  •  Gender and war: women, peace, security agenda for international communities;
  •  Ecocide: how does environment change during the war?
  •  Russian aggression against Ukraine: legal solutions for the illegal conflict;
  •  Asylum seeking and refugees in the time of war: international experiences;
  •  What did we learn from the Yugoslav Wars: using law to establish peace?
  •  Kosovo, Nagorno Karabakh, Crimea and legal solutions for contested territories

We welcome legal researchers from across disciplines to join our discussions of current issues in legal studies and law. We especially encourage younger scholars and graduate students to apply.

The working language of the conference is English. All presentations and discussions are held in this language.

The proposals shall be submitted by 15 May 2024.

Links for registration:

individual paper submission: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/128283/lomake.html  

panel proposals: https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/128286/lomake.html

Posted on

Women’s Rights and the Russian Constitution by Marianna Muravyeva

Verfassungsblog has organised a discussion the state of Russian Constitution after 30 years of its existence. Professor Muravyeva has contributed with the analysis of the human rights of women and the failure of the constitutional law to effectively protect them.

Since the beginning of Russia’ aggression against Ukraine, the government’s rhetoric has become more conservative and nationalistic. In 2022-2023, Russia witnessed the introduction of a slew of oppressive legislation directly violating human rights. Against the backdrop of Putin’s focus on the fight against the ‘enemies’ and Russia’s isolation due to ‘fighting for the right cause’ women once again became the target of regulation with a steady and consistent assault on their human rights, particularly reproductive rights. Moreover, as women actively participate in anti-war protests, the authorities have been treating women more harshly during arrest, trial and sentencing as various reports show. Nevertheless, women continue to fight for their rights and freedoms in courts and on the streets, hoping for change.

Read more here: https://verfassungsblog.de/womens-rights-and-the-russian-constitution/

Check other contributions here as well: https://verfassungsblog.de/category/debates/the-legal-tools-of-authoritarianism-the-russian-constitution-at-30/ 

Posted on

The Foundations of Russian Law – New Foundational Text

The Foundations of RUssian Law book edited by Professor Muravyeva is finally out!

This accessible text explains how Russian law works in all its principal areas. It elucidates the main concepts and frameworks behind Russian law, and uses original legal sources and case law to explain how it operates in practice. The contributors, all of whom are leading experts on Russian law, employ original research to further knowledge of the Russian legal profession, legal culture, judiciary and court systems, providing a scholarly and practical account of Russian law for students and scholars alike. It is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the subject.

Preview the Table of Contents here.