Module description
Note from the module leader:
Notwithstanding the current crisis, the module will examine legal issues that are of great importance in the future. Anybody interested in how legal relations can be developed or moved forward in the future would benefit from this module. It is important not to back away from controversial topics.
Please note that there is no language requirement for this module.
The module is not under sanctions as it is delivered by a UK-based academic without any affiliations with Russian universities.
While you may not be able to experience directly Russia’s cultural and historic riches at the moment, this module is for those people who want to be up to the minute with latest developments in Russia and Russia’s international relations. The war has generated legal work for decades to come, in both public and private law. This means a higher demand for non-Russia based lawyers who understand Russian law.
The approach of this module differs between the two semesters.
The aim of the seminars in the first semester is to provide students with an understanding of the power structure in Russia. Example seminar topics include:
- public international law & the use of force
- international criminal justice
- use of media in authoritarian states,here is an example
- Constitution and the way it’s used by the current leadership
- ‘who does what’ in the Russian echelons of power
- who makes law & how
- how laws are applied – courts, judges and human rights
The two key themes of the first semester are the attitudes to legality and the continuing rapid pace of legal change.
In the second semester, the focus is on selected fields of Russia law. The syllabus varies depending on current developments and students’ interests and can include:
- legal framework for tackling Russia-based organised crime
- key corporate actors in Russia - companies & how they are used in practice
- examples of transactions made by corporate actors and the regulatory framework – for example, contracts, raising equity and debt capital, and foreign investment, including UK, EU and North American economic sanctions
- when things go wrong – for example, arbitration
Assessment details
Examination (100%)
A variety of formative assessments are used.
Teaching pattern
Seminar (1 x 2 hour per week)