Socialist law

Socialist law or Soviet law represents a type of legal system that has been used in socialist and formerly socialist states. It is based on the civil law system, with major modifications and additions from Marxist-Leninist ideology.

Overview

Socialist law is a legal system that is used in socialist and formerly socialist states. It is based on the civil law system, with major modifications and additions from Marxist-Leninist ideology. There is controversy as to whether socialist law is a separate legal system from the civil law, given major deviations based on Marxist-Leninist ideology.

History

The origins of socialist law are rooted in the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Soviet legal model, influenced by Roman and Germanic legal systems, was then imported into other socialist states across the world in the 20th century. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the socialist law system in many countries began to shift towards the western-style civil law and common law systems.

Characteristics

Socialist law is characterized by the inextricable link between the law and the state. The state is considered the core source of law, and the law is a tool for achieving the state's policy goals. The law is seen as an instrument of social change, and is often used to promote socialist values such as equality and worker's rights.

Criticism

Critics of socialist law argue that it lacks independence and impartiality, with the judiciary and legal profession often seen as extensions of the Communist Party. They also argue that it lacks the protections for individual rights and freedoms found in other legal systems.

See also

• Civil law
• Common law
• Marxism-Leninism
• Soviet Union

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  Bulletin at the Elections to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1946)