rule of law

The rule of law is the fundamental doctrine that all men are equal before the law regardless of appointment or official status. Inherent the meaning of the rule of law is that there is no arbitrary justice or exercise of arbitrary power. The rule of law is usually used as a reference to the common standard of the law that applies to all equally in the same way. For instance a breach of a contract requires satisfaction of the same legal criterion regardless of who is a party to the particular contract and regardless of the type of contract.

Usage: The Rule of Law was popularised by AV Dicey in Law of the Constitution, 1885.

Related Words: precedent; stare decisis; ratio decidendi; constitutional guarantees.