ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the core issues related to the rule of law (ROL) sector, and explores relevant ROL theories and the integration of peacebuilding into ROL. The notion of promotion and protection of ROL as an international issue has blossomed since the end of the Cold War. The imposition of allegedly Western values comes to the fore only when the necessary inclusion of democracy enters the ROL picture. The substantivist theory of ROL jurisprudence rejects the seemingly cruel and heartless nature of the formalist. The chapter discusses different types of ROL programming that include institutional capacity, domestic/international control of ROL work, cultural competence, domestic will for change, and security for local partners. One of the main working areas in ROL is support for and training of an independent judiciary willing and able to rule against the interests of benign or corrupt government entities and fight for equality before the law.
