The paper characterizes the contribution made by Pavel Novgorodtsev, the Russian philosopher of law, to the establishment of the moral and ethical tradition of law, which, in turn, is the philosophical foundation of the doctrine of new liberalism and human rights. This tradition was influential both in late-imperial Russia and in Europe, to which Novgorodtsev immigrated in 1920 and where he founded the Institute (Faculty) of Law at Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic). The authors consider Novgorodtsev’s legal philosophy as an integral ethical doctrine, taking into account its development in the last period of the scholar’s life. For the first time in academic literature, it is argued that Novgorodtsev’s views should be interpreted in the context of both the liberal and religious philosophical approaches to the understanding of law, and that these approaches complement each other and have played a significant role in the history of political and legal thought both in Russia and in 20th-century Europe. Novgorodtsev’s contribution to intellectual thought in Russia and Europe was in his thoroughgoing criticism of social utopias, particularly, Bolshevism and Communism, which were characterized by their denial of law and legal tradition. The research is based on a wide range of sources, including P. Novgorodtsev's papers and personal documents, in particular, his correspondence.