Polity

Rule of law

Also: supremacy of law

Definition
The principle that everyone, including the government, is subject to known and fairly applied laws, and that power must be exercised according to law rather than at will.
Summary card: Rule of law. Classic statement: A. V. Dicey, 1885. Indian basis: Article 14, judicial review. Part of the basic structure. Linked to SDG 16 (peace, justice, institutions)
Summary card © UPSCPrep.in

Background and evolution

The idea is old. Aristotle argued that it is better for law to rule than any individual, and the Magna Carta (1215) limited the English king's power to punish without lawful judgment. The modern formulation comes from the British jurist A. V. Dicey, who in 1885 described three elements: no one can be punished except for a clear breach of law proved in ordinary courts; everyone, official or private, is equal before the ordinary law; and constitutional rights in Britain arise from court decisions rather than from a written charter.

India adopted the first two elements in its Constitution but replaced the third with a written, supreme Constitution. In this sense, Indian rule of law is "constitutional" rule of law: Parliament and governments are bound by limits that courts enforce. Over time, Indian courts have given the idea substantive content, linking it with fairness, reasonableness and human dignity, not just formal legality.

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Last reviewed: 23 October 2026 · Original UPSCPrep.in content.