'The Rule of Law' is a phrase much used but little examined. The idea of the rule of law as the foundation of modern states and civilisations has recently become even more talismanic than that of democracy, but what does it actually consist of? In this brilliant short book, Britain's former senior law lord, and one of the world's most acute legal minds, examines what the idea actually means. He makes clear that the rule of law is not an arid legal doctrine but is the foundation of a fair and just society, is a guarantee of responsible government, is an important contribution to economic growth and offers the best means yet devised for securing peace and co-operation. He briefly examines the historical origins of the rule, and then advances eight conditions which capture its essence as understood in western democracies today. He also discusses the strains imposed on the rule of law by the threat and experience of international terrorism. The book will be influential in many different fields and should become a key text for anyone interested in politics, society and the state of our world.

This text integrates the legal scholar's concern for jurisprudence and interpretive theory with the political scientist's concern for the behavior of judges and other actors in the judicial system. It combines theoretical and empirical approaches to present institutions and processes not as static or fixed for all time, but as historically contingent and continually evolving.

International economic law has been evolving toward an unprecedented degree of institutionalism and supranational legal authority, expressed through the availability of legalistic and more coercive mechanisms to develop international legal obligations enforceable upon states. This book will explore the transparency of the Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) within the World Trade Organization (WTO), the level of participation of the WTO members, especially those of the developing and the least-developed countries, and the attitude of the DSM in relation to the issue of development.

In The Limits of the Rule of Law in China, fourteen authors from different academic disciplines reflect on questions that have troubled Chinese and Western scholars of jurisprudence since classical times. Using data from the early 19th century through the contemporary period, they analyze how tension between formal laws and discretionary judgment is discussed and manifested in the Chinese context. The contributions cover a wide range of topics, from interpreting the rationale for and legacy of Qing practices of collective punishment, confession at trial, and bureaucratic supervision to assessing the political and cultural forces that continue to limit the authority of formal legal institutions in the People’s Republic of China.

Die Bedeutung des Rechtsstaates erlangt im Zuge der Entstehung junger Demokratien verstärkt Aufmerksamkeit. Diskutiert werden die Folgen oftmals prekärer Rechtsstaatlichkeit für die funktionsweise und die Konsolidierung junger Demokratien. Die damit begonnene Debatte zeigt, dass es notwendig ist, auch die bereits etablierten Demokratien in die Betrachtung einzuschließen. Eine Voraussetzung für die empirische Untersuchung ist allerdings, den komplizierten Zusammenhang zwischen Demokratie und Recht aufzuklären. Der vorliegende Band greift die genannten Aspekte auf, vertieft sie in theoretischen Beiträgen und empirischen Studien, die sowohl vergleichend als auch länderspezifisch angelegt sind.