ABSTRACT
The so-called rule of law is an important principle of constitutionality. (It is in direct opposition to the “rule of men” that prevails in most autocratic regimes.) This principle holds that those in public authority derive, maintain, and exercise their powers on the basis of laws specifically drawn up and not on the basis of a leader’s will. Consequently, every act of an elected or appointed official is carried out under the authority of the law and is subject to the judgment of appropriate legal authorities.
