Rule of law

The rule of law is a political and legal principle that generally entails and ensures that the law is clear, consistent and open; individuals and groups have access to justice ; and that government institutions are subject to the law. It entails that all people and institutions within a political body are subject to the same law. This concept is sometimes stated simply as "no one is above the law" or "all are equal before the law". According to Encyclopædia Britannica, it is "the mechanism, process, institution, practice, or norm that supports the equality of all citizens before the law, secures a nonarbitrary form of government, and more generally prevents the arbitrary use of power."

Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated Jun 26, 2026.