3rd International Legal Forum opened in Kazan
The ceremony was held at Bashir Rameev IT Park on 26 September.
The organizers of the event are the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan Municipality, the Russian Bar Association, Kazan Federal University, and the Kazan University Faculty of Law Alumni Association.
Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais (Governor) of the Republic of Tatarstan, sent his greetings to the participants. It was voiced at the plenary session by Rustam Nigmatullin, First Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan.
“The Legal Forum has established itself as an effective platform for the exchange of experience and opinions of representatives of the authorities, science, business structures, legal consulting to discuss topical issues of modern law,” the letter read. “The legal system is a reliable support for the protection of human and civil rights and freedoms, as well as for the development of partnerships between business and the state. I am convinced that discussions at the forum will reveal the latest trends in the development of law, adapt the existing practice to the new realities, and outline tasks for the future.”
The forum united representatives of authorities, large companies, legal scholars, who will have to find legal solutions to current problems affecting the development of society, state and business.
“The Forum, which my colleagues and I initiated several years ago, has aroused keen interest from the authorities and the business community, which speaks of the relevance of its agenda and of the readiness of you, dear colleagues, for a multilateral dialog, during which the most daring and modern ideas and proposals will be expressed and discussed,” said Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Faculty of Law of KFU, during his welcome address. “If the participants of the first forum were representatives of 6 countries, today the geography of the forum has expanded. Today’s participants come from 27 countries and more than 50 cities of Russia. In October, Kazan will host the BRICS summit. It is symbolic that it was at the Kazan Legal Forum last year that we came up with the initiative to create the BRICS Cities Association and successfully implemented it in June this year.”
The Mayor informed those present that this year Kazan University celebrates its 220th anniversary, and Kazan school of law is one of the oldest in our country.
“Today, the glorious traditions of Kazan school of law are preserved and developed, still remaining an important component of the city’s educational cluster,” he emphasized.
Metshin expressed confidence that the forum’s resolution would include specific initiatives and constructive proposals to improve legal practices.
Rector of KFU Lenar Safin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on State Construction and Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Director of the National Center for Human Rights of the Republic of Uzbekistan Akmal Saidov, Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Alexander Fyodorov and others also addressed the participants of the large-scale event with welcoming words.
Sergei Stepashin, Chairman of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, sent his greeting to the forum participants. It was voiced by the deputy chairman of the board of this association Stanislav Aleksandrov.
During the press approachm, Ilsur Metshin emphasized the practical orientation of the forum.
“On one platform meet those people who make laws, and those who live and create according to these laws. It is very important to see tomorrow in this dialog, so that the application of lawmaking does not lag behind real life,” Metshin emphasized.
Answering journalists’ questions, Pavel Krasheninnikov noted that the Kazan law schooll has an ‘incredibly high level’. He also said that one of the most important bills to be discussed at the forum concerns the creation of a unified system of public authorities in the country.
“Our task is to make everything so that there are public authorities, so that these authorities are competent, interact with other levels of government without interfering with citizens, so that funding is adequate,” he said.
Krasheninnikov said that the law, which provides for the creation of a unified legal space, was adopted in the first reading. Now the amendments are being accumulated.
“By the end of October we will consider the amendments, and in late November – early December we will propose to adopt this law. We have a huge task. And it is not only a legal one. We need to learn to take into account the interests of both federal subjects and local governments. And another important factor. We want to make sure that all the bodies that have been elected have fully used their powers,” added Krasheninnikov.
The forum events are divided into three blocks: ‘State’, ‘Business’ and ‘Legal Education and Science’.
One of the events that started at the forum today is the XI Symposium of the journal Reporter of Civic Process.
“The symposium sessions are built into the overall architecture of the forum,” said Damir Valeev, Deputy Dean for Research of the Faculty of Law, Chief Editor of the Reporter of Civic Process. “At five sessions, which will be held over two days, we will discuss topical issues related to civil, arbitration, mediation, enforcement proceedings.”
Dr Valeev noted that this year Kazan is the host of the BRICS summit, so issues related to these countries are reflected in the forum’s events.
“In particular, there is a session dedicated to alternative dispute resolution methods in BRICS countries; it is attended by Professor of Ambra University, editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Journal of Alternative Dispute Resolution Daniel Brantes Ferreira, who will speak tomorrow. Also participants from China, India, South Africa will be involved,” said the Deputy Dean.
Ferreira noted that he has been cooperating with colleagues from KFU for about a year, and representatives of the university have already published several articles in the journal of which he is the editor.
“The forum discusses very important issues for the BRICS countries concerning alternative dispute resolution and evaluation of digital evidence. This is of great importance for the international civil procedure of the BRICS countries,” emphasized the Brazilian colleague.
Among the topical issues to be discussed at the forum are changes in the legislation in civil litigation, informed Dr Valeev. The forum should end with a resolution concerning improvements in legal practice.