Champions of the Rule of Law

An account of the lawyers who helped - over centuries - to develop and protect civil liberties, human rights and the Rule of Law. Also discusses breaches of the Rule of Law in modern cases and in response to terrorism.

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Champions of the Rule of Law looks at a fundamental pillar of all true systems of justice. The book describes how the idea of such a rule came about in England and how it has been preserved and defended in the face of attempts to circumvent it.
Standing at the heart of all matters of justice, the Rule of Law holds, in short, that the law applies in equal measure to everyone. No-one is above the law and power can only be exercised under it. The rule lies at the very core of liberal democracy. Events in both modern times and across legal history demonstrate the sometimes precarious nature of the rule and the necessity for ‘champions’ prepared to uphold it — and whilst the need for it may seem obvious on any balanced view of how justice should be dispensed, its central importance to justice is by no means intuitive to everyone. This means that it will always be imperative to re-iterate its purpose, the argu­ments behind it and the mechanisms which safeguard and protect it.
Whenever the Rule of Law falls under threat, whether due to ignorance, claims to special treatment, misguided understanding, manipulation or lack of due process, there is a need for people of the calibre described in this book to step forward. The book will be of interest to lawyers, historians and students as well as general readers seeking reassurance about the workings of justice.