Autocratic Legalism and Status of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Legal System of the Russian Federation

Abstract

The article presents the theory of autocratic legalism by Professor Kim Lane Scheppele. In the first part, the article describes main characteristics of this theory.

In the case study, it examines, how the autocra­tic legalism impacts the freedom of association with focus on the status of non­governmental organisations in the legal system of the Russian Federation. In conclusion, the article deals with the European dimension of the autocratic legalism and measures undertaken by different actors to mitigate its impact.

Keywords

• autocratic legalism
• Russia
• non­governmental organisations
• freedom of association