As part of an occasional series on international justice and the rule of law in other jurisdictions, Rhys Davies & Ben Keith ask whether certain countries are using English law & lawyers as a smokescreen to distract from their repressive action
- Dubai and, increasingly, Astana are hubs for international business and commercial litigation.
- Are they using the respectable reputation of English lawyers to disguise their shocking human rights records?
English lawyers have long been in demand around the world. However, the increasing presence of English lawyers in certain jurisdictions sits ill at ease with the despotic activities of governments in those countries. Increasingly the business of the law is being exported to countries who, on one hand, would have the world see that they are open for business, but on the other hand, deny basic freedoms to their own citizens.
Kazakhstan and Dubai might not, at first blush, appear to have much in common. While the distractions of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan are no doubt charming, the beach is hundreds of miles away. The bright
