Rule of Law

Let’s talk about the rule of law. Or rather, let’s talk about what happens when there is no rule of law. And what that does to people and society.
This is Leila and her family. Six months ago, the police came and took her husband away. He has been denied access to a lawyer and has not received a fair trial. Leila tried to visit him, but the guard said it would cost her. She gave him the money but was thrown out of the police station.
A man from the authorities came and took Leila’s house away. He said they needed it. Leila asked to see the legal documentation, but was told it was not possible. She wanted to appeal to the authorities, but nobody there or at the court house would help her.
So Leila and her children are now homeless, moving around from place to place. She is running out of money and cannot get a formal job. Her situation is becoming more desperate.
When Leila’s children were born, they did not receive any birth certificates. Without any identity papers, they have been forced to live outside the formal system.
Their chances of receiving any medical care or going to school have been reduced. They won’t be able to get passports or travel abroad. And they will never be able to vote.
A weak system of rule of law can have devastating consequences, both for individuals like Leila and her family, and for society at large. Citizens’ lack of trust in the governing institutions can hamper sustainable development. With corruption rife, people feel powerless, leading to a breakdown in the social fabric. Without equal access to justice there is a risk that people take the law into their own hands.
Once violence escalates, the international community can be asked to intervene. A society upholding the rule of law can better guarantee the security of its citizens. All individuals and the state itself can be held accountable to laws that are equally and fairly applied. Each individual’s human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected.
The Folke Bernadotte Academy is a Swedish government agency working with the rule of law. We are also engaged in research and policy development. We conduct trainings and develop practical tools for field staff, authorities and practitioners.
Supporting and implementing the rule of law in practice is a complex task. The Folke Bernadotte Academy works in collaboration with both international and national organizations and national authorities.
Structural, legal and institutional changes can take many years. Promoting the rule of law is initially a question of small steps. But these steps are needed to create change in the long run.