Rule of Law

The restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by

subordinating it to well-defined and established laws
 4 Basic Principles
 Accountability
The government as well as private
actors are accountable under the law.
 Open Government
The processes by which the laws are
enacted, administered, and enforced
are accessible, fair, and efficient.
 Just Laws
The laws are clear, publicized, stable, and
just; are applied evenly; and protect
fundamental rights, including the security
of persons and property and certain core
human rights.
 Accessible & Impartial
Dispute Resolution
Justice is delivered timely by competent,
ethical, and independent representatives
and neutrals who are accessible, have
adequate resources, and reflect the
makeup of the communities they serve.
 Historical Context

 Plato (b. 429 & 423 BC):

"Where the law is subject to some other authority and has none of its own, the
collapse of the state, in my view, is not far off; but if law is the master of the
government and the government is its slave, then the situation is full of promise and
men enjoy all the blessings that the gods shower on a state.“
 Aristotle
“It is more proper that law should govern than any one of the citizens: upon the same
principle, if it is advantageous to place the supreme power in some particular
persons, they should be appointed to be only guardians, and the servants of the laws”
 Cicero
 "We are all servants of the laws in order to be free."
 Middle Ages: Islamic Jurisprudence said that no official could claim to be
above the law, not even the Caliph.
 Magna Carta (1215): termed as ‘The Great Charter’, is one of the most
important documents in history as it established the principle that everyone is
subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals,
the right to justice and the right to a fair trial

Review: https://prospect.org/article/trumps-assault-on-rule-law-0
https://dailytimes.com.pk/346979/the-dark-and-dreary-rule-of-law/