The Rule of Law thrives within democracies, which exist to give voice to the people. But that voice is silenced and the Rule of Law is extinguished when democracy is overcome by totalitarianism.
The IATL condemns the Russian government for its actions against Ukraine. We fully support Ukraine’s citizens and government and its independence. Russia’s attack on the sovereignty of Ukraine, its people and their democratically-elected government is a violation of the Rule of Law and the freedoms that flow from it. Russia’s war against Ukraine is a threat to all democracies and cannot be met with idle silence.
History will judge us all for our roles in and reactions to these events. The IATL calls upon lawyers and judges in Russia to be faithful to the Rule of Law and reject Russia’s unwarranted attack. Those who have orchestrated this assault on the Rule of Law must be held accountable.
The International Academy of Trial Lawyers is an elite group of trial lawyers representing both sides of the bar: plaintiffs’ and defendants’ counsel in civil litigation and prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases. The Academy’s general purposes are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the Administration of Justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession.
Roman Silberfeld
IATL President