Mr. Mothercountry: The Rule of Law as Practice

Abstract

The rule of law is understood as a clear benchmark or achievement in contemporary international politics. But the rule of law is better understood as an invariably messy, contingent, and incomplete process or practice. This article examines how one man, Sir James Stephen, oversaw the rule of law in British colonial territories in the first half of the 19th century. He offers clear lessons in why the rule of law can never be definitively achieved, and the importance of approaching law’s administration with humility.