Fidelity in Law's Commonwealth
Private Law and the Rule Of Law, Dennis Klimchuk, ed., Oxford University Press, Forthcoming
25 Pages Posted: 18 Jul 2013
Date Written: June 14, 2013
Abstract
The rule of law promises protection and recourse against the arbitrary exercise of power. The guiding aim of the rule of law ideal is served when law’s rule extends to all forms of power in the polity, social as well as political. This chapter defends the centrality to the rule of law of the task of protecting individuals from power wielded by non-governmental entities and individuals. It also argues that the rule of law is realized when law is planted firmly in a commonwealth of mutual faithfulness to the differentiated and interconnected responsibilities of fidelity to law. Law rules not only when government officials are held accountable for the discharge of their duties under law, but also when ordinary citizens structure their relationships by law and hold each other accountable to the common, public terms that the law provides.
Keywords: Rule of Law, Arbitrary Power, Fidelity, Mutual Accountability, Mode of Association, Private Rule of Law
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation