Access to Justice and Electoral Integrity
The rule of law determines the organization of a given society –including
the relationship between the State and society. It is supported by the
rules and regulations that shape this particular form of organization, by
the values upon which they are built and by the means to adjudicate and
enforce them.
The rule of law directly impacts the promotion of democratic values and
human rights. “The ability of society to resolve conflicts without
violence requires debate, information, interaction among citizens, and a
meaningful participation in their own governance, all of which have the
potential to change people’s minds and allows governments to take
authoritative decisions.”11
Discussion on the post-2015 development agenda suggest that that the
rule of law could be understood as:
A.
A social and political reality that exists according to different values,
norms and institutional forms.
B.
A system of rules values and organizations that underpins
governance.
C.
A set of processes, enabling conditions and outcomes that operate
at multiple levels and cuts across sectors to affect sustainable
human development.12
Moreover, that goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals refers to
peace, justice and strong institutions and includes a target to “promote
the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal
access to justice for all,”13 reveals that this conceptualization of the rule
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