A legal system is more like a process than a thing. It is constantly evolving, growing and changing. The rule of law is a set of institutional norms or habits of mind that determine how a legal system is structured, how it should be developed, and how it is properly used. As such, it is the most important part of a modern legal system. It is very different from “law and order”. And it is far more comprehensive than is commonly understood. It has been called humanity’s most important innovation of the last 1000 years. This course will examine selected important sources and developments in the history of the rule of law and its importance in the modern world.
