Associate professors of St Petersburg University receive the St Petersburg 'Justitia' Legal Award
Two of the University's professors have won the 'Justitia’ annual legal award. Ekaterina Dmitrikova, Associate Professor at St Petersburg University, received the 'Academic Credentials' award. Mikhail Galperin, Associate Professor at St Petersburg University, was named best in the 'Excellence in Legal Practice' category.
The ceremony honouring the winners of Justice was traditionally held on the professional holiday – Lawyer’s Day, which is celebrated on 3 December. The event took place at the Lawyer's House (Kelch Mansion).
Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, was the first to welcome the laureates and guests to the ceremony, noting that Lawyer’s Day was of special importance for the city. He recalled that the articles of the Judicial Reform were adopted in St Petersburg on 3 December 1864. 'Russia attained the most advanced judicial system. It ensured equality for all residents of the country. St Petersburg was the home of many legal institutions. The Constitutional Court operates in our city, and by order of the President of Russia, the Supreme Court will move here in the near future,' said Alexander Beglov.
The Governor emphasised that St Petersburg University has been training highly qualified lawyers for many years.
It is impossible to imagine the work of almost any government agency without a lawyer. The University and lawyers also provide a considerable assistance to the Legislative Assembly and the executive authorities of the city.
Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg
The Justitia award is a very special mark of distinction for the lawyers of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. It was established by the interregional branch of the Association of Lawyers of Russia. It is the only organisation in the country that covers two constituent entities – St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Chairman of the Association of Lawyers of Russia in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted: 'The government of the city and the Leningrad Region do a lot to ensure that the two entities function in harmony. I am sure it is also the quality of the legal corps and representatives of different legal professions who have been working hand in hand for many years.'
Mikhail Galperin, Associate Professor of St Petersburg University, Deputy General Director, Head of the Legal Affairs Division of Inter RAO, and a graduate of the University, was one of the winners of the Justitia statuette. He was awarded the prize in the 'Excellence in Legal Practice' category. Mikhail Galperin graduated with honours from St Petersburg University and joined the Department of Civil Procedure at the University shortly thereafter. In 2015-2021, Mikhail Galperin held the position of Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation and Representative of the Russian Federation to the European Court of Human Rights. In his speech, the lawyer thanked the audience for their high opinion of his work.
I am particularly grateful to receive this award as a lawyer from St Petersburg and receive it among my colleagues. In this audience, I am more of an alumnus, a student in the circle of my teachers and professors.
Mikhail Galperin, Deputy General Director, Head of the Legal Affairs Division of Inter RAO, Associate Professor of St Petersburg University
Mikhail Galperin added that students of St Petersburg University remain the very best in Russia today.
Ekaterina Dmitrikova, Associate Professor in the Department of Administrative and Financial Law at St Petersburg University, was the winner in the 'Academic Credentials' category. She has been teaching at St Petersburg University for over eight years and heads the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research on Supervision Activities at St Petersburg University. She actively participates in research, expert analysis and educational projects related to the large-scale reform of supervisory activities. This includes the expert evaluation of draft regulations as part of the implementation of the 'regulatory guillotine' mechanism in the field of education. Her research interests include administrative liability and state control and supervision. She also conducts research on the impact of the digitalisation of higher education in Russia on economic processes.
Accepting the award, Ekaterina Dmitrikova addressed her colleagues with words of gratitude for their appreciation of University initiatives: 'For the last few years I have been fully dedicated to my work at the University and I have to admit that the projects that are implemented at St Petersburg University and in which I am involved, give me the opportunity for self-realisation.'
Aleksandr Abrosimov, Commissioner for the Protection of Entrepreneurs' Rights in St Petersburg, became the winner in the 'Major Contribution to Legal Education of Citizens' category. He recalled that the ombudsman's office in cooperation with experts from St Petersburg University participates in the implementation of the 'regulatory guillotine' reform and works on the University's master’s programme ‘Legal Support for Business’.
Vladimir Zakharov, President of the Leningrad Regional Chamber of Advocates, was rewarded for his many years of work and personal contribution to strengthening the rule of law, training of highly professional lawyers, public activity, protection of rights and freedoms of citizens. Andrei Pelevin, Vice-President of the Leningrad Regional Chamber of Advocates, received an award for his contribution to the consolidation of the legal community in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.