Rethinking the standard theory of democratic transition the author shows the uneven character of Central Asian political regimes. He sketches different strategies of political modernization in order to represent the impact of Post-Soviet constitutional reforms regarding such items as separation of powers, parliamentarism, presidential power and the role of political leadership. He discusses the importance of constitutional developments for traditional societies in transition, and concludes that post-communist constitutional development in the region is still far from complete.
The new stage of Russian statehood development from the 1990s has displayed a congruence between modern political issues and roles and phenomena of early twentieth century Russian political life. Drawing on this historical experience, the author considers the role of the contemporary Russian political opposition and its relationship with the ruling party. Additionally, the author contends that recent amendments to the regulation of political parties will not significantly affect the balance of political forces and will not change the political regime.
The article is the first attempt to observe, analyze and comment on the implementation of the latest amendments to the Federal Constitutional Law "On the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation"adopted in 2011
Should the loyal citizen obey unlawful laws? What is the relationship between positive law and justice in the context of rapid social change? By which criteria are we to appreciate them? What are the views of professional lawyers, as well as those of different political opinions: conservatives, liberals, and 'left-wingers'? To clarify the unsolved character of this question, and the growing divorce between positive law and the notion of justice in post-Soviet Russia, the author demonstrates the competitive character and variability of strategies for the juridical construction of reality regarding such key parameters as property relations, national identity, state and the political establishment. He presents his own vision of the rational combination of the legitimacy, legality and efficiency of juridical decisions in order to overcome the conflict of law and justice, legality and efficiency, and political reason and the social ideal.
The article focuses on the right to respect of one’s gender identity, which is one of the inalienable attributes of personal autonomy and dignity in their contemporary understanding. Discovering the constitutional meaning of this right is an important task due to the rapid development of biomedical technologies and the subsequent rejection of a strict presumption of the objective nature of gender. The right to recognition of gender identity is based on two key principles that are gradually penetrating the legal systems of democratic countries: gender pluralism and the subjectivity of gender identification. The author employs a case study to demonstrate: 1) some of the best practices of utilizing these principles; and 2) major challenges in their implementation, as well as existing approaches to overcoming these challenges. The principle of gender pluralism presumes the legality of numerous genders in addition to male and female. Cases reviewed by the German Federal Constitutional Court and the Indian Supreme Court provide substantive arguments in favour of recognizing a “third” (“diverse”) gender and show how bodies of constitutional review may introduce progressive changes into legal systems and take on a leading role in forgoing stereotypes and widening the interpretation of personal autonomy and dignity. The principle of subjectivity of gender identification demands that the government officially recognizes one’s gender on the basis of a person’s deeply felt internal experience. The article considers several constitutional arguments used by national and international judicial authorities that contribute to the gradual adoption of the above-mentioned principle, rejecting sex reassignment surgery as a necessary prerequisite for official gender recognition. The author devotes a special paragraph to the issue of the interconnection between the right to recognition of one’s gender identity and the principle of gender equality. The article notices that in many jurisdictions there is a shift from the principle of formal equality to that of substantive equality resulting in the approval of certain measures of positive discrimination based on gender. This trend brings along the extension of the spectrum of state obligations regarding the procedures of official gender recognition, as well as securing the rights of people who have undergone gender reassignment.
The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty has enabled the European Union to start negotiations on accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. The agreed draft agreement was submitted to the European Court of Justice, which was to address the issue of the draft's compliance with the founding treaties of the European Union. Contrary to expectations, the Court issued a negative opinion on December 18, 2014, effectively blocking the process of EU accession to the Convention. The article examines the reasons why the EU has sought to acceded the Convention and provides a detailed analysis of the arguments put forward by the EU Court in support of its position.
The origin of the Communist regime remains the problem of acute debates not only for historiography but also for politicians and legal experts in the context of Soviet legacy and the formation of the Post-Communist transitional regime. The widespread myth about soviets as integral institutes of direct democracy still inspires leftist ideological proposals and even constitutional amendments to Russian Fundamental Law in action. Demystification of the Soviet legend is only possible by the profound research of their genesis, structural place and the real role in revolutionary government. On the ground of the 1918 Constitutional Commission archival documents the author reconstructs the historical place of the Soviet phenomenon in formation arguing that its “democratic” potential stay too fare from the exaggerated ideal.
The origin of the Communist regime remains the problem of acute debates not only for historiography but also for politicians and legal experts in the context of Soviet legacy and the formation of the Post-Communist transitional regime. The widespread myth about soviets as integral institutes of direct democracy still inspires leftist ideological proposals and even constitutional amendments to Russian Fundamental Law in action. Demystification of the Soviet legend is only possible by the profound research of their genesis, structural place and the real role in revolutionary government. On the ground of the 1918 Constitutional Commission archival documents the author reconstructs the historical place of the Soviet phenomenon in formation arguing that its “democratic” potential stay too fare from the exaggerated ideal.