ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the term “rule of law” and analyzes its various definitions, history, and constructs. In addition to providing an extensive literature review on the rule of law concept, the chapter explains the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law and Afrobarometer indices later utilized in the book’s Chapter 8. The chapter also contains a review of some of the literature on the confluence of colonial legacy and the rule of law in the African context. It ends with narratives of the identified driving forces (other than prominent top leaders) undergirding the rule of law – Constitution, Constitution Making, Adequate Legal System, Independent Judiciary, Police Forces, Military Forces, Other Significant Institutions, Sustainable Development Frustrated, and Language – and the rationales for utilizing these drivers to fully understand how colonial legacy is impacting the rule of law in the African context.
