Rule of Law

The judiciary’s role in the political system varies considerably from one country to another. All countries have some form of legal structure, and the role of the judiciary is rarely limited to deciding criminal cases. Courts in authoritarian systems generally have little or no independence and their decisions are controlled by the chief executive. Constitutional courts, which serve to defend the democratic principles of a country, are the highest judicial body that rules on the constitutionality of laws and other government actions. In this unit we will look at the varying degrees of rule of law (the idea that all people are treated equally under the country’s legal procedures) in each of the six core countries. As you will see, some enjoy a high degree of rule of law, while others fall short.

Questions to consider:

  • What type of judicial system do the six core countries have?
  • What is Rule of Law?
  • To what degree does each of the six core countries adhere to rule of law?
  • What examples indicate a low adherence to rule of law?
Country Legal System Judicial Review Independent
China Code law No No
Great Britain Common law No Yes
Iran Sharia No No
Nigeria Common law

Sharia

Yes Yes
Russia Code law Yes No
Mexico Code law Yes Yes

Select the appropriate legal system, judicial review, and independence answer for each country.

China
Code Law
Common Law
Judicial Review
Independent
Sharia
Great Britain
Common Law
Independent
Judicial Review
Code Law
Sharia
Iran
Sharia
Common Law
Judicial Review
Code Law
Independent
Nigeria (choose 4)
Sharia
Independent
Common Law
Judicial Review
Code Law
Russia
Judicial Review
Code Law
Sharia
Common Law
Independent
Mexico
Code Law
Judicial Review
Independent
Sharia
Common Law

Rule of Law Ordering

On a scale of 1-6 (1 being the highest), rank the AP Comparative 6 core counties on their adherence to rule of law.

China, Great Britain, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia

Click to reveal the answer

1. Great Britain, 2. China, 3. Mexico, 4. Russia, 5. Iran, 6. Nigeria >/details>


Rule of law, has the expectation that no one is above the law.
True
False
Of the six core countries, only Iran practices Sharia law.
False
True
An independent court relies heavily on the country’s executive to direct their decision.
False
True
More of the core countries studied in this course practice code law.
True
False

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