Per the author: "This paper provides a brief overview of core aspects of the rule of law. It is by no means exhaustive on the subject and does not resolve any of the hard questions. Rather, it is a pragmatic guide to the basic issues, oriented to the circumstances and concerns of societies that are working to develop the rule of law (although the discussion applies broadly to all societies and legal systems). The topics covered are: Definition, Functions, Benefits, Elements."

Per the author, "The chapter begins with the basic idea of the rule of law wherein the doctrine of the rule of law explains that the law must be capable of guiding the behaviour of its subjects. It also discusses some the principles that can be derived from the basic idea of the rule of law. These principles include: all laws should be prospective, open, and clear; laws should be stable; the making of laws should be guided, open, clear, and general rules; the independence of the judiciary must be guaranteed; natural justice must be observed; courts must have reviewing power over some principles; courts should be accessible; and the discretion of crime-preventing agencies should not be allowed to pervert the law. In addition, the chapter discusses the value and essence of the rule of the law and some of the problems and issues concerning conformity to it."

Per the author, The Rule of Law is one star in a constellation of ideals that dominate our political morality: the others are democracy, human rights, and economic freedom. We want societies to be democratic; we want them to respect human rights; we want them to organize
their economies around free markets and private property to the extent that this can be done without seriously compromising social justice; and we want them to be governed in accordance with the Rule of Law. We want the Rule of Law for new societies—for newly emerging democracies, for example—and old societies alike, for national political communities and regional and international governance, and we want it to extend into all aspects of governments' dealings with those subject to them—not just in day-to-day criminal law, or commercial law, or administrative law but also in law administered at the margins, in antiterrorism law and in the exercise of power over those who are marginalized, those who can safely be dismissed as outsiders, and those we are tempted just to destroy as (in John Locke's words) "wild Savage Beasts, with whom men can have no Society or Security".

This installment of the Legal Theory Lexicon provides a very short introduction to the idea of "the rule of law," aimed as usual at law students (especially first year law students) with an interest in legal theory.