Editor-in-Chief: Oleg A. Yastrebov, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Economics, full professor ISSN: 2313-2337 (Print) ISSN: 2408-9001 (Online) Founded in 1997. Publication frequency: quarterly PUBLISHER: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) Open Access: . APC: no article processing charge Peer-Review: double blind. Publication language: Russian, English Indexation: White List RCSI, Russian Index of Science Citation, RSCI, DOAJ, Crossref, Google Scholar, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Dimensions
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University)
The right of authorship belongs to the authors of articles. The authors transfer the rights to use the article (including the use and distribution of an article in the Open Access) to the publisher of the journal on a non-exclusive license (Publishing Agreement (Public Offer)). At the same time, authors remain full rightsholders. Publishing Agreement (Public Offer) to Publish an Article in an Academic Periodical 'RUDN Journal of Law' The Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University), represented by the Vice-Rector for Scientific Work Kostin Andrey Alexandrovich, acting under a Power of Attorney No 0036-09/25-122 dated 21.05.2025, hereinafter referred to as the Publisher, on the one hand, hereby offers to the public at large, hereinafter referred to as the Author, on the other hand, hereinafter collectively referred to as the Parties, to enter into this agreement, hereinafter referred to as the Agreement, regarding publication of scholarly materials, hereinafter referred to as the Article, in the Journal named 'RUDN Journal of Law', hereinafter referred to as the Journal, under the following terms. 1. General Terms and Conditions 1.1. Pursuant to Clause 2 of the Article 437 of the Russian Federation Civil Code, this Agreement shall be recognized as the public offer, hereinafter referred to as the Offer. Subject to Article 438 of the Russian Federation Civil Code, this Offer shall be deemed to have been completely and irrevocably accepted after the Author had submitted his/her materials by uploading those onto the network electronic system of the article acquisition for review available at the respective section of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Information and Communication Network known as the Internet, hereinafter referred to as the Internet. 1.2. Pursuant to the Russian Federation effective law as applicable to compliance with the copyright to electronic information resources, no materials from any site, electronic journal or project may be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form, either in a hard or soft copy, without a prior consent from the Journal's authors and editorial staff, which may be expressed by posting a respective consent (open license Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 CC BY-NC) in the relevant section of the Journal's site on the Internet. Whenever any published materials are used within the context of other documents, a reference to the original source needs to be specified. 1.3. The Journal is registered by the Federal Oversight Service for Communications, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (RosKomNadzor). 2. Terms Used in This Agreement The Author is an individual (or individuals) whose creative labor has produced the Article. The Offer Acceptance means a complete and irrevocable acceptance of the Offer under the terms specified in Clause 3 hereof (the Author accepts the Offer by submitting an application to the Publisher, i.e. by uploading the Article along with support materials onto the network electronic system of the article acquisition for review available at the respective section of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Internet). The Journal means an academic periodical named 'RUDN Journal of Law'. The Application means an electronic request of the Author addressed to the Publisher for publishing the Article in the Journal by uploading the Article and support materials onto the network electronic system of the article acquisition for review available at the relevant section of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Internet). The Publisher is the Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba” (RUDN), being the Journal's founder and publisher. The Article's Metadata means any materials in Russian and English intended to be included into the Science Citation database as per the original version of the Article such as the Article title; authors' details (full last name, first name, patronymic, present employer of each author with indication of the postal code, contact details (e-mail) of each author; abstract; keywords; topical classifications: UDC or any other bibliographic and library classification, and subject indices; bibliography (list of references). The Offer means this document (offer to the Author) to publish an Article by uploading it onto the site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Internet. The Publication means the act of publishing the Article in the Journal. The Journal's Editorial Staff means a creative team engaged in preparing the Journal for publication. The Editorial Board is an advisory body of the Journal's Editorial Office. The Article means a result of fundamental and applied scholarly efforts in the form of a scholarly material, scientific review material, scientific message, bibliographical review on specific topics of the scholarly study, and background information on Russian and foreign scientists submitted by the Author for publication in the Journal. The Parties mean the Author and the Publisher. The Article Requirements mean requirements to the materials published in the Journal's section named "To Authors" of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/about/submissions#authorGuidelines on the Internet. The Service means publication of the Article in the Journal as per the Author's application. 3. Subject Matter of the Agreement (Offer) 3.1. Subject to this Agreement, the Author shall provide the Publisher at no expense for the copyright duration as stated by the Russian Federation legislation with a non-exclusive license for use of the Author-created Article for the purpose of its publication in the Journal. 3.2. The rights to use this Article as assigned hereunder shall include but not limited to: reproduction of the Article or any part thereof, as well as its metadata in Russian and English in any material form whatsoever, including soft and hard copy forms, as an individual work product in periodicals and/or databases (whether local or web-based) owned by the Publisher and/or any other persons at the discretion of the Publisher; dissemination of the Article or any part thereof, as well as its metadata in Russian and English on any media as part of the Journal and/or databases owned by the Publisher or any other persons, at the discretion of the Publisher, or as an individual work product, worldwide via open access or by subscription without payment of any fee to the Author; making public the Article or any part thereof as well as its metadata in Russian and English so that any person could access the Article from any location and at any time of his/her choice (including via the Internet); issuing permissions to use the Article or any part thereof as well as its metadata in Russian and English to any third parties while notifying the Author by publishing the respective information on the Journal's site without payment of any fee to the Author; processing, including translation of the Article (including translation into foreign languages), and use of the processed (translated) Article in any manner specified above; any other rights, not expressly assigned to the Publisher hereunder, including patent rights to any processes, techniques or methods, and other means, described by the Author in the Article, as well as trademark rights, shall be retained by the Author. 3.3. No territorial restrictions will be applied to the use of rights to the Article. 3.4. This Agreement shall become effective from the time the Article is submitted to the Journal, i.e. uploaded along with support materials onto the network electronic system of the article acquisition for review available at the relevant section of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Internet, hereinafter referred to as the Article Upload. 3.5. The rights shall be assigned by the Author to the Publisher at no expense, and the Article publication in the Journal shall not result in any financial contribution to the Author. 3.6. If the Publisher decides to refuse to publish the Article in the Journal, this Agreement shall cease to be in force. A decision to refuse publication shall be sent to the Author via the e-mail address specified in the Application. 3.7. The Publisher undertakes, throughout the currency of this Agreement, to provide to the Author the services associated with publication of the Article on the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law on the Internet. 4. General Terms of the Services Provision 4.1. The Publisher shall provide the services to the Author only if: the Author submits all materials compliant with the Offer requirements by way of the Article Upload; the Author Accepts the Offer. 4.2. The services shall be provided to the Author free of charge. 4.3. If any materials submitted by the Author are found in breach of rules and requirements of this Offer, the Publisher shall have a right to refuse to publish those. 4.4. The Publisher shall not be responsible for any third-party unauthorized use of the data provided by the Author during the currency of this Agreement. 5. Rights and Responsibilities of the Parties 5.1. The Author warrants that: he/she is the valid holder of exclusive rights to the Article; rights granted to the Publisher hereunder were not earlier assigned and will not be assigned to any third parties prior to publication of the Article by the Publisher in the Journal; the Article contains all the references to cited authors and/or sources (materials) that are required by the effective copyright law; the Author has obtained all required licenses to results, facts and other borrowed materials used in the Article where the Author is not a copyright holder; the Article does not contain any materials that may not be published in public sources in accordance with the effective Russian Federation statutory instruments, and the Article publication and dissemination will not involve any disclosure of classified (confidential) information, including state secrets; the Author has familiarized himself with the editorial policy and ethical principles published on the Journal website (http://journals.rudn.ru/law/about/editorialPolicies) and the consequences of violating these principles, has advised other Co-authors of the terms of this Agreement and has received consents from all the Co-authors to conclude this Agreement under the terms hereunder. 5.2. The Author undertakes to: submit a manuscript of the Article as per the Requirements to articles; avoid using the soft copy of the Article produced by the Publisher for commercial purposes and in other periodicals; while preparing the Article for publication, the Author undertakes to: make edits specified by readers and approved by the Journal's Editorial Office in the text of the Article and/or revise the Article following the Publisher's request, where necessary; proofread the Article within the timeframes specified in the Journal publication schedule; make only such edits in the proof that are minimally required to correct errors made in the Article original and/or introduce factual and momentary changes. 5.3. 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The Publisher undertakes to: publish the Author's Article, in soft or hard copy form, in the Journal in accordance with the terms hereof; provide the Author with the proof of the Article and make reasonable edits as requested by the Author, where required, following the Journal's Editorial resolution; provide the Author with the soft copy of the published Article by sending it to the Author's e-mail address within 15 business days of the Journal issue's publication; respect the Author's rights established by the effective law, protect those and use best endeavors to prevent any copyright infringements by third parties. 5.5. The Publisher is entitled to: carry out technical and literary editing of the Article such that its basic content would remain unchanged; review the Article and suggest appropriate changes to the Author, and elect not to publish the Article if the Author fails to introduce such changes; require from the Author and/or other persons that the Journal, Publisher, Author and any other copyright holder, as well as the title of the Article, Journal issue identification and a year of publication as specified in the Journal be properly referenced whenever the Journal and/or the Article, including any individual part or fragment thereof, are used by any of the above-mentioned individuals thereafter; publish preliminary and/or advertising information on the forthcoming publication of the Article in mass media and any other information sources; establish rules (conditions) for acceptance and publication of materials in the Journal. The Journal's Editorial Board, headed by the Editor-in-Chief, shall enjoy an exclusive right to accept and/or reject any materials submitted to the Journal's Editorial Office for publication purposes. No manuscript (tangible medium) submitted by the Author to the Journal's Editorial Office will be subject to return. The Journal's Editorial Staff will not enter into any correspondence regarding the rejection of the Article by the Journal's Editorial Board; suspend provision of services to the Author hereunder temporarily for technical, technological and other reasons preventing the services from being provided for the duration of remedial activities; suspend services hereunder in accordance with civil procedures if: the Article does not correspond to the topics covered by the Journal or by any part thereof, or the submitted material is found insufficient for the individual publication, or the Article design is found at variance with the requirements imposed; the Author is in breach of any other obligations assumed under the Offer arrangement; introduce changes to the Offer as per the procedure established by the Offer. 5.6. Unless otherwise provided or stated herein, the Parties shall refer to the effective legislation of the Russian Federation. 6. Offer Acceptance and Conclusion of the Agreement. The Term of the Agreement 6.1. This Agreement shall become effective when concluded, i.e. when the Author Accepts the Offer by sending an application to the Publisher, that is, by uploading the Article (Article Upload), and remain in effect for five years. 6.2. The Offer Acceptance constitutes an Agreement made in writing (Articles 438 and 1286.1 of the Russian Federation Civil Code) under the Offer terms. 6.3. Unless any of the Parties sends to the other Party a written notification of the Agreement termination no later than two months prior to the end of the specified five-year period, the duration of the Publisher's copyright to the Work shall be automatically extended by the similar period. The number of extensions is not limited. 6.4. The term of the Agreement may not exceed the duration of exclusive rights to the Article pursuant to the Russian Federation legislation. 6.5. Whenever the Author assigns (disposes of) its exclusive rights to the Work to any third party, this Agreement shall remain in effect. 7. Agreement Modification and Termination Procedure 7.1. The Publisher shall have a right to unilaterally modify the terms of this Agreement by giving a prior notice to the Author, at least ten (10) calendar days before such modifications become effective, to the Author's e-mail address specified in the Author's application or via the Journal's site. These modifications shall become effective from the date specified in the respective notice. 7.2. If the Author disagrees with any modification in the terms of this Agreement, the Author shall have a right to submit a written notice of his/her withdrawal from this Agreement by uploading it onto the network electronic system of the article acquisition for review, available at the relevant section of the Journal's site at URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/index.php/law/author/submit/1 on the Internet. 7.3. This Agreement may be terminated early: at any time by mutual agreement of the Parties; or otherwise as stipulated herein. 7.4. The Author shall have a right to cancel this Agreement unilaterally by sending the Publisher a respective notice in writing at least sixty (60) calendar days prior to the intended date of the Author's Article publication in the Journal. 7.5. The termination of this Agreement for any reasons shall not release the Parties from responsibility for breach of any Agreement terms during the currency hereof. 8. Liability 8.1. A Party which has failed to perform its obligations under this Agreement, either in full or in part, shall be held liable pursuant to the Russian Federation legislation in force. 8.2. All the data provided by the Author shall be trustworthy. The Author shall be responsible for completeness and reliability of the data provided to the Publisher. The use of untrustworthy information obtained from the Author shall not entail any responsibility upon the Publisher for any adverse effects resulting from its actions based on such untrustworthy information. 8.3. The Author shall take full personal responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Russian Federation law on advertising, protection of copyright and related rights, protection of trademarks and service marks, and protection of consumer rights. 8.4. The Publisher shall not be held responsible hereunder for: any actions resulting directly or indirectly from the actions of the Author; any loss incurred by the Author whether or not the Publisher was in a position to predict such loss. 8.5. The Publisher shall be relieved from any responsibility for non-compliance with the terms of this Agreement if such non-compliance is a result of a force-majeure event such as an act of state authorities, including adoption of legal instruments, fire, flood, earthquake, other natural calamities, loss of power and/or computer network failure, strikes, civil commotions, riots, and any other similar events. 9. Dispute Resolution Procedure 9.1. Any disputes and disagreements shall be resolved by the Parties by negotiations, and if the Parties fail to reach an agreement, these shall be resolved in accordance with the effective law of the Russian Federation. 9.2. If any disagreements remain unresolved, the Parties shall settle those at the location of the Publisher in accordance with the effective law of the Russian Federation. 10. Miscellaneous 10.1. Any notifications, messages, requests etc., excluding documents which need to be forwarded in original form pursuant to the Russian Federation legislation, shall be deemed to have been received by the Author, if delivered (sent) by the Publisher via the Journal's site, including by publishing those, by fax or e-mail specified in the Application, or using other communication facilities. The Parties acknowledge validity of notifications, messages, requests etc. delivered (sent) using the above-listed methods. 10.2. Where the Publisher becomes subject to any claims related to non-compliance with an exclusive copyright or other intellectual property right of any third party during the writing of the Article or in connection with conclusion of this Agreement by the Author, the Author undertakes to: immediately upon receipt of a Publisher's notification, take measures to settle disputes with such third party, and, where necessary, join the litigation in favor of the Publisher and use its best endeavors to exclude the Publisher from the defendants; reimburse the legal cost, expenses and loss incurred by the Publisher as a result of application of a pre-award relief and measures for execution of a judgment, and damages paid by the Publisher to any third party for the infringement of exclusive copyright and/or other intellectual property rights, as well as other expenditures incurred by the Publisher as a result of infringement by the Author of any warranties provided hereunder. 10.3. Subject to Article 6 of the Federal Law On Personal Data No. 152-FZ dated July 27, 2006, for the period from the conclusion of this Agreement and until the discharge of Parties obligations hereunder, the Author expresses his/her consent to processing of the following personal data by the Publisher: last name, first name, patronymic; taxpayers identification number (TIN); place and date of birth; citizenship details; ID document details; registration and actual location address; e-mail address; mailing address with postal code; contact phone numbers; fax numbers; and details of the employers. 10.4. The Publisher is entitled to process the above personal data for the purpose of this Agreement performance, including for provision of information and reference services to the Author. The processing of personal data shall be understood to mean any handing (operations) with personal data, including collection, systematization, accumulation, storage, refinement (update, alteration), use, distribution (including transfer to third parties), depersonalization, blocking and deletion of personal data in accordance with the effective Russian Federation legislation. 10.5. Where permitted by the Russian Federation legislation, the Author is entitled to withdraw his/her consent to processing of personal data as listed in Clause 10.3 by forwarding a respective notice to the Publisher. Upon receipt of such notice, the Publisher has a right to suspend services. 10.6. The Author will, on a goodwill basis, submit his/her details (and details of each Co-Author subject to their prior consent) to the Journal's Editorial Office consisting of his/her: last name, first name, patronymic, academic rank, academic degree, job title, employer details (name and mailing address), work phone number and e-mail address for the purpose of its general publication in the Journal along with the Article. 11. Registered Address and Particulars of the Publisher Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN University) Address: Mikluho-Maklaya st., 6, Moscow, 117198 TIN 7728073720, CRR 772801001, PSRN 1027739189323. Vice Rector for Scientific Work A.A. Kostin
International and National Features of Legal Regulation of Artificial Intelligence: Тhe Experience of Russia, China, India
The development of legal regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) represents an urgent priority for most contemporary states. However, progress remains uneven, with few nations achieving a balance between AI technological advancement and protections for human rights, the rule of law, and national security in public applications. The article examines the national and international experiences in AI legal regulation, drawing on cases from Russia, China, and India. The research aims to generate evidence-based legal knowledge on AI and its integration across public life spheres, while identifying key trends and primary regulatory directions. The methodology employs comprehensive analysis of legislative and scholarly sources to examine disctinctive features of AI legal regimes, achievements and shortcomings, and associated risks and threats. In conclusion, the legislation of each examined country reflects nationally specific AI regulation, grounded on domestic priorities alongside recognized international norms and principles. These frameworks pursue innovation while mitigating security risks and human rights violations, positioning nations competitively in the global AI technological race.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alferova E.V., Skurko E.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Social structure in the digital era: Typological characteristics of state influence on social processes
This article analyzes key characteristics of social structure and their significance for identifying the place and role of the state in social processes during the digital era. The methodological foundation integrates elements of class and stratification theories of social structure, enabling characterization of social groups by their heterogeneity and divergent ideological bases of organization and functioning. The study substantiates that resources shaping the nature and foundations of social structure exhibit varying differentiating power across historical periods. Consequently, differentiation of social structure and its disparities form the basis for conflict potential, overcome through changes in the state’s role, degree of intervention in social processes, and influence on social group formation and development. The state, as a mechanism integrating society, modifies existing value systems to harmonize social interests and prevent threats to sovereignty from opposing forces. The study shows that the digital era combines criteria for socioeconomic inequality and social structure - from purely economic ones to status-based, political, legal, and sociocultural. It features greater polarization and disunity among social groups, reduced upward social mobility, and subordination of social structure to state-strengthening interests and coercive influence. The article substantiates the gradual alienation of most people from influencing social processes in the digital era. This rests on degradation of human rights and freedoms, shifting conceptual and legal bases for state-society-individual interactions, amid a crisis of anthropocentric principles of the social, political, and legal organization of society.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zinkovskiy S.B. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in legal research: Editor’s insights
The article examines the potential and limitations of using artificial intelligence (AI), primarily large language models, in legal research and editorial practice from the perspective of an academic journal editor. Its purpose is to show how AI can accelerate routine scholarly and editorial tasks (search and selection of sources, preparation of factual background, structuring and preliminary editing of texts), while simultaneously raising methodological, ethical and responsibility-related questions for the human author. Methodologically, the study relies on a qualitative, analytic-descriptive approach, grounded in the author’s own editorial experience with AI tools, targeted test interactions with neural networks for typical tasks of a legal researcher, and selective analysis of open materials illustrating risks and practices of AI use. The article presents examples of interactions between the researcher and a generative artificial intelligence system, serving as illustrative material for the formulation of prompts and the analysis of AI-generated responses across various stages in the preparation of a legal scholarly article. The article demonstrates that AI can significantly reduce the time needed to search and analyze large volumes of legal information and to bring the formal quality of a manuscript (structure, style, fact-checking) in line with high editorial standards, but that AI-generated output remains only an intermediate, auxiliary product that must be verified against primary sources and checked for the correctness of terminology and context (especially when translating from one language into another). Particular attention is paid to the uncertainty and potential error in empirical material compiled with AI assistance (for example, when aggregating cross-jurisdictional data on AI in courts), as well as to the dangers of uncritical reliance on automatically generated content. The conclusion argues that AI should be treated as an instrument supporting and enhancing the researcher’s and editor’s competencies rather than replacing them: the final decisions concerning content, interpretation and publication, as well as responsibility for the accuracy and reliability of the text, rest unequivocally with the human author.
Copyright (c) 2026 Stepanova V.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Methodological Issues in Socio-Legal Research on the Rule of Law
The global debate on the rule of law is undergoing a methodological crisis in empirical research, manifested in problems of operationalization, cultural bias in indices, and a persistent gap between formal institutions and actual practices. This article aims to trace the evolution of approaches to the rule of law in legal sociology, identify the methodological limitations of three successive “generations” of studies, and outline prospects for synthetic methodology. The analysis draws on key works in socio-legal studies (R. Abel, M. Galanter, M. Hertogh, N. Cheesman, T. Ginsburg) and on a critical reading of global index methodologies (World Justice Project, Worldwide Governance Indicators). Methodologically, it employs historical-sociological and comparative-legal approaches. The first generation of empirical research - classic “gap studies” - demonstrated the systemic failure of legal reforms that ignore the social context, revealing the divergence between official legal norms and everyday normative orders. The second generation, centered on quantitative indices, made the rule of law measurable across countries but produced new difficulties, including expert dependence, data endogeneity, and the risk that governments use indicators to simulate reform rather than constrain power. The third generation, associated with ethnography and studies of legal consciousness, demonstrated the cultural embeddedness and plurality of legal meanings, while also exposing the challenges of aggregating and generalizing qualitative findings for comparative assessment. Overcoming the current methodological impasse requires a multi-dimensional research design that integrates quantitative assessment of institutions, qualitative analysis of legal consciousness, and everyday legality, and sustained theoretical reflections on law’s relationship to power. Such an interdisciplinary program should focus not on abstract rankings, but on the concrete ways in which arbitrary power is constrained (or legitimated) within specific socio-political contexts.
Copyright (c) 2026 Allalyev R.M. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
International Legal Regime: Theoretical Foundations and Contemporary Structure in the Context of Globalization
The progressive development of international legal regulation mechanisms across diverse domains of public relations, coupled with the expanding participation of non-state actors in shaping the international agenda, has fostered the emergence of distinct branches of interstate cooperation. This evolution presents a doctrinal challenge in conceptualizing these autonomous spheres, leading to the widespread scholarly adoption of the term “international legal regime”. Despite its utility, Russian international legal doctrine lacks a comprehensive study systematically examining the substantive nature and scope of application of this concept. The article examines the concept and essence of the international legal regime as a key element of the contemporary international legal system. It traces the evolution of theoretical approaches to defining “regime” in international relations, international law, and legal theory, with primary focus on the formation and functioning of international legal regimes amid globalization and fragmentation of international law. The analysis employs a multifaceted methodological framework, encompassing historical genesis, theoretical conceptualization, case studies, and systemic modeling. The historical-legal method traces the evolution of international legal regimes in the context of globalization and fragmentation. The study posits that specialized, functionally autonomous regimes - in domains such as environmental protection, international trade, human rights - emerge as responses to the growing complexity of regulated subject matter and the imperative for tailored mechanisms to address transnational challenges. Comparative legal analysis juxtaposes definitional approaches across domestic and foreign doctrines, while formal juridical methods yield precise definitions, classifications, and structural components of international legal regimes.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abashidze A.K., Malichenko V.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
International Legal Mechanism for Legitimizing the Military Operation of the United States and its Allies in Syria: Implications for Russia’s International Legal Policy
Given the increasingly adversarial character of states’ international legal positions, a detailed case study of the development and implementation of mechanisms used by foreign states (primarily the United States) to legitimize armed incursions into foreign territory appears timely and warranted. Such an inquiry is relevant both for enriching Russian legal scholarship and for stimulating the development of innovative approaches aimed at improving the quality of Russia’s international legal policy, including the international legal support of the special military operation in Ukraine. Analyzing the practice of other states makes it possible to identify patterns that may facilitate the prediction of their future international legal maneuvers and to reveal weaknesses and inconsistencies that should be avoided domestically and, where appropriate, used strategically to influence the currently prevailing pro-Western international legal consciousness. The purpose of this article is to identify and reconstruct the content of the international legal mechanism used to legitimize the military operation conducted by the United States and its allies in Syria. The research materials consist of international and national documents, international legal literature, and relevant media sources. Methodologically, the study employs an integrative approach, drawing on methods of legal construction, analogy, institutional analysis, and legal modeling. The analysis suggests that, since 2014, the United States has relied on three principal sets of arguments to defend the lawfulness of the use of force in Syria, elaborated at different stages of the conflict: (1) humanitarian intervention and the associated “responsibility to protect” (R2P) discourse; (2) the right to (collective) self-defense; and (3) “anticipatory (preemptive) humanitarian intervention”. The development and refinement of these argument clusters have been underpinned by a large range of inventive international legal constructs, including “preemptive self-defense”, “imminent threat”, “rogue states”, “national self-defense against an imminent or continuing threat”, “the unwilling or unable test”, “protection of US citizens abroad”, and “the accumulation of events” theory. Taken together, this extensive and heterogeneous body of legal reasoning tends to obscure the absence of any UN Security Council decision formulating a policy of armed intervention to resolve the Syrian crisis or a determination that the crisis could only be addressed through the use of force.
Copyright (c) 2026 Korzhenyak A.M. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
DNA Fingerprinting and Genetic Privacy in Algerian and French Law: A Comparative Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of DNA fingerprinting in establishing paternity and its application as evidence in criminal proceedings, alongside the legal and ethical challenges of protecting genetic privacy. It analyzes the evolution of the Algerian judicial system and the development of legal frameworks for resolving paternity disputes, including the influence of traditional kinship recognition methods on adopting modern scientific techniques like DNA fingerprinting. In criminal investigations, DNA fingerprinting have proven highly effective for identifying perpetrators, enhancing investigative accuracy, and promoting fairer justice administration. However, its use raises complex legal and ethical concerns regarding potential misuse of genetic data. The study concludes that a balanced legislative approach is essential to safeguard personal rights while preserving DNA fingerprinting as a reliable evidentiary tool, without undermining core privacy principles. It further proposes legislative solutions that meet justice requirements in paternity and criminal cases, incorporating stringent safeguards against genetic privacy violations.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdelkader Y. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Regulation of Digital Assets in the Commonwealth of Australia in the Context of Bankruptcy Estate Formation
The article examines the legal regulation of digital assets in Australia, with particular emphasis on their status within bankruptcy procedures. The study’s relevance stems from rapid technological advncements, the surging popularity of digital assets, and persistent challenges in regulating their turnover, including under insolvency law. The objective is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Australia’s current regulatory framework for digital assets, their legal nature, and their inclusion in the bankruptcy estate. The research employs comparative-legal, formal-legal, and systemic methods, drawing on Australian legislation, judicial practice, regulatory guidance, and scholarly works from domestic and foreign sources. Analysis reveals that Australia adopts a permissive regulatory model for digital assets - encompassing digital rights and currencies - with indirect regulation via analogous norms and agency recommendations, absent specialized legislation. In bankruptcy contexts, judicial practice and doctrine classify digital assets as property includable in the bankruptcy estate. Australian insolvency law equips trustees with mechanisms to identify, seize, and manage such assets, supported by targeted guidance.
Copyright (c) 2026 Odintsov S.V., Gribanowskaya M.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Modern approaches of foreign countries to admitting foreign investments into the national economy
Since 2022, the Russian economy has faced new challenges arising from intensified sanctions pressure. The protective countermeasures introduced by Russia have significantly affected the operations of foreign investors. This raises the question of whether these measures are excessive or, conversely, consistent with the investment-regulatory policies of other states aimed at attracting foreign capital. The article examines the conditions under which foreigners are admitted to the national economies of the United States and the European Union - both of which pursue sanctions policies toward Russia - as well as of countries under U.S. and EU economic sanctions, including China and Iran. The similarity of national-security and strategic interests in the current historical context allows for the identification of common features and specific characteristics in the legal regulation of foreign investment. The study employs general-scientific methods (analysis and synthesis) as well as special legal methods (formal-legal and comparative-legal analysis). The findings indicate that the legal systems considered establish different conditions and procedures for state control over foreign investment, reflecting the peculiarities of each national legal order. The underlying objectives of restricting foreign presence, however, are broadly similar: ensuring national defense and state security and protecting the country from external and internal threats. The sectors of economic activity subject to foreign-investment control are determined by each state according to its geopolitical environment and level of economic development.
Copyright (c) 2026 Milchakova O.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Ideological sources of civil law: Axiological measurement of civil society regulatory mechanisms
The Russian civil law serves as the foundation for the formation of sustainable social models and for strengthening the state’s political positions. An insufficient understanding of the axiological principles underpinning legal structures impedes the development of civil society and the modernization of sociopolitical relations. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the fundamental provisions of the axiological nature of civil law, taking into account ontological, anthropological, and phenomenological principles. This conceptual clarification is intended to create a basis for aligning the exising state of civil law with public expectations regarding sustainable sociopolitical development. The integration of sociological and axiological methods makes it possible to systematize civil law as a system of value-laden structures within society. The comparative-legal approach provides the framework for critical analysis and comparative assessment of different types of legal thought in the process of refining the principles of civil law. Within the tradition of continental law, the domestic legal system is characterized as a normative dogma operating on the principles of positive law. The dominance of this positivist-oriented approach tends to overestimate the role of statutory legislation grounded in a pragmatic methodology, justified by the recognition of positivist legal principles as the primary source of civil law. At the same time, natural law remains an integral component of legal thought, and its effectiveness is evident throughout the historical development of legal systems. The close interconnection between legal dogma and legal history confirms the significance of the axiological dimention and comparative methodology. Until now, however, these approaches have remained largely confined to commentary on the Russian legal system, which restricts the further evolution of civil law. The modernization of state-body operations and civil law institutions becomes possible through the recognition and systematic ordering of ideological-value elements derived from various sources - such as ancient philosophy, theology, and culture. This would enable the modelling of public legal consciousness in a way that effectively addresses social chellenges and reinforces national-state policy.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alekhina E.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The right to disconnect or the right to offline as a restriction of the employer’s rights
The article examines the right to disconnect from the standpoint of the legal structure of restrictions in labor law. The author classifies existing foreign-country models of the right to disconnect according to two main criteria: (a) the method of regulating the “right to disconnect”, and (b) the scope of subject coverage. Drawing on a broad range of scientific literature, judicial practice, statistical data, and provisions of foreign legislation, and applying formal-legal and comparative-legal methods, the author formulates and analyses the structural elements of the right to disconnect as a restriction on the employer’s rights. These elements include the composition of the rights-holders, the form of implementation of the right, the procedure and grounds for the employer’s refusal to assist the employee in exercising this right, as well as mechanisms for ensuring its effective exercise (both punitive and preventive measures). Based on the research findings, the article proposes ways to improve the current Russian legislation on the legal regulation of the right to disconnect.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dzhidzhavadze L.G. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Debureaucratization of Higher Education in Russia: Legislative Innovations, Organizational Challenges, International Experience
The article examines the legal and practical aspects of implementing Federal Law N 328-FZ aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burden on the teaching staff in Russian higher education institutions. Despite the good intentions of the legislators, the practical implementation of the new norms faces a number of legal conflicts and organizational challenges. The article aims to comprehensively analyze the potential and risks of implementing Federal Law N 328-FZ, identify legal and practical barriers to the debureaucratization of higher education, and develop recommendations for optimizing the regulatory framework and organizational mechanisms for reducing the bureaucratic burden on teaching staff. The study relies on an analysis of the text of Federal Law N 328-FZ, comparing its provisions with current educational and labor legislation and bylaws. The methods of legal, comparative, and institutional analysis, as well as the synthesis of theoretical and empirical data, are used. As a result of the study, key contradictions between the new law and the existing regulatory framework are identified, and practical difficulties in implementing the requirements of the law in the context of the existing university management system are shown. The international experience of debureaucratization of higher education is analyzed, and recommendations for improving Russian legislation and organizational practices are proposed. The implementation of Federal Law N 328-FZ requires comprehensive work on harmonizing the regulatory framework, transforming management processes, and introducing digital document management technologies. Only a balanced combination of legal and organizational innovations will make it possible to achieve a real reduction in the bureaucratic burden in higher education. The results obtained contribute to the understanding of the complex processes of reforming the higher education system and contribute to the development of a balanced approach to solving the problem of bureaucratization in the academic environment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Druzhinin A.V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Organizational, Legal Regulation and Maintenance of State Fingerprint Registration in the Republic of Kazakhstan
The abstract examines the legal and organizational foundations for the introduction of state fingerprint registration in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with a focus on the material and technical aspects of its implementation. The aim of the study is to identify and systematize the legal, organizational, and technical dimentions of mandatory fingerprint registration in Kazakhstan, and to assess the potential for applying Russian experience in this field. The author emphasizes that fingerprint identification is one of the key tools for strengthening national and public security, enabling the timely identification of individuals who may pose a potential threat, as well as improving the effectiveness of law enforcement activities and border control. The application of analytical, synthetic, systematization, and comparative-legal methods made it possible to identify the specific features of the implementation of state fingerprint registration in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The paper examines the competences of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Security Committee, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which jointly form a comprehensive infrastructure for the organization and management of the fingerprint registration process. Technical aspects are considered separately, including the advantages of digital inkless fingerprinting stations. It is emphasized that the effective functioning of systems for the collection, processing, and storage of fingerprint information requires modern hardware and software complexes, as well as cryptographic methods for protecting biometric data, aimed at minimizing the risk of unauthorized access. In addition, the article analyzes the Russian experience of mandatory dactyloscopic registration of foreigners, which helps to assess the prospects for improving Kazakhstan’s legislation and practice in introducing such mechanisms, as well as to identify potential problems. As a result, the study provides a holistic view of the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of state-level fingerprint registration.
Copyright (c) 2026 Britvak N. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
XIII All-Russian Annual Meeting of Legal Theorists ‘Modern Theoretical Orientations of Legal Science’: Dedicated to the 85th Anniversary of Valery V. Lazarev
Copyright (c) 2026 Nikitina V.S. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Review of the lecture: A.V. Fedorov “Criminal Liability of Legal Entities as a New Direction in the Development of Foreign Legislation”, Law Institute of RUDN University, Moscow, March 6, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Kuznetsova O.A., Klebanov L.R. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0