legal nihilism

"Russia is a country of legal nihilism," he said.

President Medvedev has spoken out against what he has termed the legal nihilism prevailing in Russia.

He asserted that rising crime, lawlessness in the economic sphere, and a general "legal nihilism in society" were being compounded by the authorities' failure to act decisively.

"Russia's own president, Dmitri Medvedev, has spoken repeatedly about its tendency toward 'legal nihilism,' " Mr. Levy said.

In the Krasnoyarsk speech, Medvedev harshly condemned Russia's "legal nihilism" and highlighted the need to ensure independence of the country's juridicial system and the need for an anti-corruption program.

President Dmitry Medvedev ostensibly has the power to pardon, and he has shown some small measure of independence from his patron, speaking of the "legal nihilism" that prevails in Russia today.

And as for Medvedev, well, he makes a rhetorical show of being more modern and more democratic than Putin-his vocabulary includes "legal nihilism" as a description of the Russian court system.

Following the 2009 regional parliamentary elections, Gryzlov stated in response to criticism of electoral violations: Corruption and legal nihilism, inherent to Russian mentality, should not be shifted onto "United Russia" party.

The official Russian press agency, Itar-Tass, quoted him as saying that the breakdown in the authority of the federal Government threatened to "shake loose the weak statehood of Russia" and contributed to "legal nihilism in society."

In a country where clear-cut interest groups haven't taken shape, where normal parties are just being born, in a country where executive discipline is extremely weak, where legal nihilism is dominant - in such a country, to put a stake only or mainly on a parliament?" '

The country is headed by two lawyers, President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, who have repeatedly expressed their intention of combating legal nihilism. However, their words, which are usually followed by completely contrary actions, have been shown to consist merely of legal cynicism.

After taking the oath of office and receiving a gold chain of double-headed eagles symbolizing the presidency, he stated: "I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms....We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development."