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"The rule of law, an ideology of equality and universality that justified Britain's eighteenth-century imperial claims, was the product not of abstract principles but imperial contact. As the Empire expanded, encompassing greater religious, ethnic and racial diversity, the law paradoxically contained and maintained these very differences. This book revisits six notorious incidents that occasioned vigorous debate in London's courtrooms, streets and presses: the Jewish Naturalization Act and the Elizabeth Canning case (1753-54); the Somerset Case (1771-72); the Gordon Riots (1780); the mutinies of 1797; and Union with Ireland (1800). Each of these cases adjudicated the presence of outsiders in London - from Jews and Gypsies to Africans and Catholics. The demands of these internal others to equality before the law drew them into the legal system, challenging longstanding notions of English identity and exposing contradictions in the rule of law"--Provided by the publisher

ZusammenfassungGezielte Angriffe auf die rechtsstaatlichen Elemente konstitutioneller Demokratie sind ein zentraler Bestandteil des weltweit zu beobachtenden "democratic backsliding". Teilweise lassen sie sich als Reaktion auf die mitunter unreflektierte, mechanistische Rechtsstaatsgläubigkeit der Demokratisierungsforschung und -politik der vergangenen 20 Jahre erklären. Allerdings missbrauchen autoritär-populistische Anti-Demokraten, die selbst in (noch) konsolidierten Demokratien gegenwärtig an Einfluss gewinnen, diese berechtigte Kritik, um ihre anti-pluralistischen Vorstellungen von einem angeblich homogenen Volkswillen und einer unumschränkten Mehrheitsherrschaft zu propagieren. Gegen diese Gefahren des "rule of law backsliding" hilft nur eine klare Benennung des oft negierten Spannungsverhältnisses zwischen Rechtsstaat und Demokratie und die konstruktive Suche nach einer Balance zwischen beiden Prinzipien im Rahmen des demokratischen Verfassungsstaates.

Contemporary discourse on civil society asserts democracy as a precondition for a successful working of civil society and a vibrant civil society for a smooth working of democracy. Yet there have been exceptions. On one hand some predominantly authoritarian regimes around the world are said to have harbored vibrant civil societies such as some countries of East Asia and Latin America. In this context, this paper overviews the growth and development of civil society in Pakistan during the rule of two military dictators in Pakistan viz. Ayub Khan (1958-1969) and Zia-ul-Haq (1977-1988) in the light of state-civil society models of conflict and coordination. It further seeks to explore: How those dictators treated the civil society in Pakistan? What was the response of civil society towards the dictatorial rule? And can we draw some parallels in the working of this nexus during the two eras?

the article analyzes the current rule of law crisis in Hungary and Poland trying to discover the causes and framing the problem in a wide comparative framework

The law is strong in execution. The rule of law is an important factor in ensuring the interests of the people and the basis for building a democratic, civil society.

The law is strong in execution. The rule of law is an important factor in ensuring the interests of the people and the basis for building a democratic,civil society

The law is strong in execution. The rule of law is an important factor in ensuring the interests of the people and the basis for building a democratic, civil society.

Introduction -- First principles -- Emergency powers -- Foreign affairs powers -- Military force, paramilitary force, and covert action -- Secret government versus the rule of law -- The Constitution of the United States