Rule of Law and the Challenges Posed by the Pandemic

The rule of law represents the heart of constitutionalism. Public power can only be legitimately exercised if it is based on and complies with the law. The Constitution and its fundamental values – human dignity, freedom and equality – are the ultimate sources of orientation for the rule of law. Domestic rule of law is complemented by its external dimension, the duty to respect international law and, for EU member states, supranational law.

For the World Jurist Association, the realization of the Rule of Law has been the central concern since its founding more than 60 years ago. Its biennial world congresses, which bring together leading figures from politics, the judiciary and academia under the presidency of Javier Cremades, focus on the universal importance of the rule of law, which experts from numerous countries discuss on the basis of current problem areas.

At the 2021 World Law Congress in Barranquilla, Colombia, one central topic was the tension between combating pandemics and the rule of law. The contributions gathered here examine how this challenge was met in political-legal practice, and the role of constitutional jurisdiction in the process. They analyze and evaluate the legal situation in numerous countries in Europe and Latin America. In addition, they reflect on fundamental issues, such as the concept of the rule of law, its relationship to democracy, its universal character and its implementation via jurisprudence.