Legal theory of ethnicity as a foundation for modernizing the legislation of indigenous peoples

About the author:

Elena F. Gladun, Cand. Sci. (Jur.), Professor, Department of State and Municipal Administration, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia; e.f.gladun@utmn.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2525-6638

Abstract:

Rapidly developing in various directions, the discipline of constitutional law remains a gap in the sphere of ethnic relations which change and adapt to modern conditions. Such a challenge encourages legal scholars to strengthen the legal potential of Russian society, in particular through new theoretical research and updating legislation in the field of indigenous peoples. In this article, the author formulates a new theory for constitutional law, which is based on several scientific concepts existing in the social and humanitarian sciences. This theory is designed to clearly define the legal place of indigenous peoples in modern society and develop more effective approaches to establishing their constitutional and legal status, tools for its implementation and dimensionsof further constitutional and legal development. The strong point of the theory is that it relies not only on legal academic knowledge, but also on the implications of other disciplines which study indigenous communities: ethnography, anthropology, philosophy, and sociology. The author believes that in-depth studies of ethnic factors can and should influence legal relations, construct them and become a justification for making certain government decisions. Based on the legal theory of ethnicity, some measures are proposed to help overcome the shortcomings of modern Russian legislation on indigenous peoples and expand the opportunities for their development in the legal system.

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