Karin Kneissl at the St Petersburg International Legal Forum: Without law, the world faces total chaos
The St Petersburg International Legal Forum has hosted a session titled ‘Lawfare — the Instrumentalisation of Western Courts for Economic Power Politics’. It was organised by the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues (G.O.R.K.l. Centre) at St Petersburg University. The participants discussed the state of the Western courts in light of major geopolitical shifts, including the US—Russia rapprochement and the militarisation of the 27 EU member states and other European countries.
The discussion was moderated by Karin Kneissl, Head of the G.O.R.K.l. Centre at St Petersburg University. She observed that European countries have traditionally viewed the world in black-and-white terms and have consistently distanced themselves from the East. According to her, this is why they now fear Russia, which is looking in that direction. ‘Europe has a black-and-white mindset, and this paves the way for totalitarian movements and actions,’ said Karin Kneissl. The expert further argued that this tendency in the Western paradigm of the world to divide it solely into good and bad is bound to result in ‘economic problems and risks with potentially severe consequences’.
The participants in the session ‘Lawfare — the Instrumentalisation of Western Courts for Economic Power Politics’ were: Platon Guryanov, Deputy Head of the Legal Department of Russian Railways; Oleg Leonov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Business News Media; Maxim Musikhin, Director of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Daria Pashkova-Stravinskaya, Legal Advisor at the Ruptly Video Agency; Bart Soens, Managing Director of Louve Solitaire BV; and Victor Titov, Vice-Rector of St Petersburg University.
In her speech at the plenary session ‘The Law: Lessons of the Past for the World of the Future’, Karin Kneissl, Head of the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s Key Issues, noted that a shared understanding of justice and sensitivity to language on the part of authorities contributes to the search for a global consensus.
Without law, the world faces total chaos.
Karin Kneissl, Head of the G.O.R.K.I. Centre at St Petersburg University
According to Karin Kneissl, the key lies in the education of those in positions of power. ‘It is impossible to govern without a legal education. A clear understanding of legal language is essential for discussing complex issues, such as peace negotiations,’ Karin Kneissl maintains. The expert emphasised the need to be cautious about the language we use, a point she also tries to instil in her students. ‘Language must not be empty. It needs to be filled with rich, meaningful phrases and clauses. Every concept we use should reflect the underlying essence of those clauses. I hope this is the path to justice and fairness,’ added Karin Kneissl.
Karin Kneissl was honoured with the Medal of Gavriil Derzhavin, a departmental award from the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, presented to her in person by the Russian Minister of Justice, Konstantin Chuychenko.
The Head of the G.O.R.K.l. Centre also remarked that the rule of law has been lost in many countries, particularly in the EU, where treaties are disregarded and diplomacy has ‘fallen into a coma’. She stressed that mutually respectful dialogue is essential for reaching a consensus.
The St Petersburg International Legal Forum serves as the largest platform for dialogue between representatives of the legal, business, political, and law enforcement communities on issues that affect citizens and businesses, improve law enforcement practices, and promote legislative initiatives aimed at developing legal culture and regulating the socio-economic sphere in the present-day context.