On 20 June at 13:00 at the premises of Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) Professor and RGSL Rector designate Mel Kenny gave a talk on the United Kingdom (UK) referendum on European Union (EU) membership: The UK in the EU: to be or not to be? Since the referendum itself will take place on 23 June, this was an excellent opportunity to hear such an expert just before the event.
As Mel Kenny noted: “The UK is currently debating its membership of the EU, prior to a referendum on 23 June 2016 which could result in a British Exit (known as Brexit) from the EU. The debate is at times surreal: while those arguing ‘for’ the EU are far from enthusiastic about it, Brexit campaigners suppress all reference to the EU’s most important positive features. Similarly, while advocates for continued membership argue, in fact, for ‘special status’ in the EU, Brexit campaigners seem confident that the lack of detail in their Brexit plans will either go unnoticed or can be met with Imperial swagger. Meanwhile, though both sides agree that ‘Brussels’ must be ‘shaken out of its complacency’, work in Westminster has ground to a halt. It is in this context that the EU faces some existential challenges: the refugee crisis, the Eurozone crisis and Russian aggression. That is why I will talk about whether a Brexit could have more positive effects for both the UK and the EU”
On 25 April the RGSL Constitutional Assembly confirmed Professor Mel Kenny LL.B, LL.M., Dr. jur., as rector and will seek approval of the appointment from the Cabinet of Ministers.
Mel Kenny is director of the Centre for European Legal Studies at the prestigious University of Exeter Law School (United Kingdom). In 2001 he received a doctorate in law from the University of Bremen (Germany). His academic experience has been highly valued in such universities as Leipzig, Bremen and Lucerne, where he has lectured in commercial law, consumer law and finance law.