The rule of law is sometimes expressed as 'no person is above the law'. A more comprehensive description of the concept has been elusive for generations of scholars, lawyers and judges. What does the phrase mean? More specifically, what does the rule of law mean in the context of 21st century issues and challenges?

Professor Robert A Stein, Justice Richard J Goldstone and CEELI Institute Founder Homer Moyer are the distinguished editors and authors of the second edition of The Rule of Law in the 21st Century, published in association with the International Bar Association. Joining Stein, Goldstone and Moyer is an array of internationally distinguished leaders of the legal profession from North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East to explore the meaning of the rule of law today in a variety of circumstances.

The book examines the concept of the rule of law from a variety of perspectives, beginning with the basic principles and all-important definitional issue of what the term "rule of law" means, and includes fully updated chapters covering the independence of the judiciary and the internationalisation of the rule of law.

The second edition also contains several new chapters, including:

War crimes and genocide: ultimate violations of the rule of law;
Addressing the problem of corruption that threatens the rule of law;
The rule of law and inequality of women in the US judiciary;
Thirty years of rule of law learning; and
Chapters describing law reform programmes that have strengthened the rule of law around the world in recent decades.
The rule of law is humankind's best hope for freedom and justice. The second edition of The Rule of Law in the 21st Century gives us a better understanding of this important concept in the world today.

Consultant editor: Richard J Goldstone, Homer E Moyer Jr