The Rule of Law, By Tom Bingham

Justice explained (are you listening, Tony, Dave et al?)

This succinct and lucid explanation of what the familiar phrase "rule of law" actually means, by the former Lord Chief Justice, the late Lord Bingham, begins with a history of English law and then explicates the key principles of its rule.

That means accessibility, equality before the law, the right to a fair trial, and (in Bingham's view) protection for human rights. Bingham argues that the invasion of Iraq was a serious violation of the rule of law. On state responses to terrorism, Bingham approvingly quotes Ben Franklin: "He who would put security before liberty deserves neither." This is a trenchant defence of the rule of law by a man who took it seriously.