👩🏻⚖️
1
Crisis and Security Management Msc - Security &
the Rule of Law
+ Mandatory Reading Summaries of Lectures and Seminars.
+ Lecture notes will be added later.
+ Final paper will be added later.
Week 1 - 6 of RoL, given at Leiden University.
Good luck!
, 2
Table of Contents
Bedner (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law......................................................................3
Waldron (2023). The Rule of Law (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)................................................ 5
Amnesty International (2016). Use Of Force Guidelines For Implementation of the UN Basic Principles
On The Use Of Force And Firearms By Law Enforcement Officials............................................................7
Wilmshurst (2021). Chapter 45: The Use of Force. In The Oxford Handbook of the International Law of
Global Security by Geis & Melzer............................................................................................................... 12
Hurrell (2005). Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?............................................. 14
Kersten (2016). Chapter 1: Justice in Conflict............................................................................................16
Leib & Ruppel (2021). The Dance of Peace and Justice: Local Perceptions of International Peacebuilding
in West Africa...............................................................................................................................................18
Buchan, R. and Tsagourias, N. (2021). Cyber attacks, use of force, and self-defense............................. 20
Schwarz, E. (2024, December 12). The (im)possibility of responsible military AI governance...............22
Reicher, Stephen, Stott, Clifford, Cronin, Patrick, & Adang, Otto. (2004). An integrated approach to
crowd psychology and public order policing............................................................................................... 25
Terpstra (2006). Policing Protest and the Avoidance of Violence: Dilemmas and Problems of
Legitimacy....................................................................................................................................................28
Mavronicola (2021). Chapter 22: Institutionalised Inhumanity- From Torture to Assassination. In The
Oxford Handbook of the International Law of Global Security by Geis & Melzer.....................................30
Sanders (2018). Chapter 1: The Politics of Plausible Legality Purchased..................................................33
Sanders (2018). Chapter 3: Torture.............................................................................................................35
Bedner, A. (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law.............................................................. 38
World Justice Project. (2025) Rule of Law Index: Methodology..............................................................38
Mungiu-Pippidi, A. (2022). Five Lessons on International Rule of Law Support. Carnegie Europe........40
Pick one news item related to security and the rule of law.................................................................... 42
Hurrell, A. (2005). Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?....................................... 42
Amnesty International. (2017). Use of force. Guidelines for implementation of the UN basic principles
on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials.................................................................... 43
Sands, P. (2025, November 19). Trump and his ilk imagine a world without international law → but they
will not achieve it......................................................................................................................................... 43
Hathaway, O.A. & Shapiro, S.J. (2026, January 13). A world without rules: The consequences of
Trump’s assault on international law............................................................................................................45
, 3
Lecture 1: Introduction – Framing Security & the Rule of Law
Bedner (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law.
Introduction
● Problem & aim: Notes widespread disagreement about what “rule of law” means and the
practical harm this causes for research and donor programmes; proposes a clear
conceptual framework to dissect definitions into elements for better analysis and
evaluation.
Two Functions Of The Rule Of Law
● Core functions identified: (1) protect citizens against the state (prevent arbitrary state
power) and (2) protect citizens against one another (secure property, life, order); both
are central and sometimes in tension.
Competing Definitions
● Why definitions vary: Reviews “thin→thick” and “formal→substantive” distinctions,
donor/practitioner narrowness (property/economic focus), and political uses of the term;
argues no single definition will satisfy all audiences.
Dissecting The Rule Of Law Definitions
● Method proposed: Break the umbrella concept into discrete elements, then classify
them → this allows clearer comparison, contextualisation, and empirical testing of “rule
of law” claims.
1st Category → Procedural elements
● Rule by law: The state should govern by general legal rules (not ad hoc decrees);
rule-by-law can still be abused if rules enable arbitrary power.
● State actions are subject to law (legality): Government acts must have a legal basis;
beware discretionary “open concepts”, retroactive legalisation, and de facto rule outside
the law.
● Formal legality: Laws should be clear, stable, public and accessible so people can
predict consequences (essential for economic behaviour and fairness).
● Democracy (procedural participation): Treats democracy as contested but notes its
relevance to making government responsive and legitimating law; local participatory
devices are relevant.
2nd Category → Substantive elements
, 4
● Subordination to principles of justice: Law and its interpretation should be guided by
(written or widely-held) principles of justice, morality and due process.
● Protection of individual rights and liberties: Human rights (e.g., the right to a fair trial)
are commonly included and provide more concrete substantive standards.
● Furtherance of social human rights: Discusses the debate over including
socio-economic rights (food, education); argues that inclusion matters for the
poor/disadvantaged, even if analytically contestable.
● Protection of group rights: Treats group/collective rights as sometimes part of the
framework (e.g., indigenous/group protections), noting controversy but practical
importance.
3rd Category → Controlling mechanisms (guardian institutions)
● Independent judiciary: Central controlling actor → independence and access are crucial
to enforce procedural/substantive elements; discusses institutional and empirical
dimensions (tenure, court management, access).
● Other guardian institutions: Ombudsmen, national human rights institutions,
anti-corruption bodies, etc., often supplement or temporarily substitute for courts and are
important in practice.
The Elementary Model As A Research Tool
● How to use it: The paper turns the elements into interdisciplinary research questions
(legal + empirical) to evaluate each element in context, rather than relying on a single
definition; it provides concrete question sets for each element/category.
Related Research Questions (Examples)
● Procedural: e.g., To what extent does government act outside the law? Are laws published
and stable?
● Substantive: e.g., Are fundamental principles and human rights legally guaranteed and
implemented?
● Controlling mechanisms: e.g., Is the judiciary independent, impartial, and accessible?
Do other oversight bodies exist and function?
Concluding Remarks
● Practical aim: The model keeps the adaptability of the rule-of-law concept while
offering structure for clearer debate, better indicator design, and more useful
donor/programme evaluation.
1
Crisis and Security Management Msc - Security &
the Rule of Law
+ Mandatory Reading Summaries of Lectures and Seminars.
+ Lecture notes will be added later.
+ Final paper will be added later.
Week 1 - 6 of RoL, given at Leiden University.
Good luck!
, 2
Table of Contents
Bedner (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law......................................................................3
Waldron (2023). The Rule of Law (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)................................................ 5
Amnesty International (2016). Use Of Force Guidelines For Implementation of the UN Basic Principles
On The Use Of Force And Firearms By Law Enforcement Officials............................................................7
Wilmshurst (2021). Chapter 45: The Use of Force. In The Oxford Handbook of the International Law of
Global Security by Geis & Melzer............................................................................................................... 12
Hurrell (2005). Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?............................................. 14
Kersten (2016). Chapter 1: Justice in Conflict............................................................................................16
Leib & Ruppel (2021). The Dance of Peace and Justice: Local Perceptions of International Peacebuilding
in West Africa...............................................................................................................................................18
Buchan, R. and Tsagourias, N. (2021). Cyber attacks, use of force, and self-defense............................. 20
Schwarz, E. (2024, December 12). The (im)possibility of responsible military AI governance...............22
Reicher, Stephen, Stott, Clifford, Cronin, Patrick, & Adang, Otto. (2004). An integrated approach to
crowd psychology and public order policing............................................................................................... 25
Terpstra (2006). Policing Protest and the Avoidance of Violence: Dilemmas and Problems of
Legitimacy....................................................................................................................................................28
Mavronicola (2021). Chapter 22: Institutionalised Inhumanity- From Torture to Assassination. In The
Oxford Handbook of the International Law of Global Security by Geis & Melzer.....................................30
Sanders (2018). Chapter 1: The Politics of Plausible Legality Purchased..................................................33
Sanders (2018). Chapter 3: Torture.............................................................................................................35
Bedner, A. (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law.............................................................. 38
World Justice Project. (2025) Rule of Law Index: Methodology..............................................................38
Mungiu-Pippidi, A. (2022). Five Lessons on International Rule of Law Support. Carnegie Europe........40
Pick one news item related to security and the rule of law.................................................................... 42
Hurrell, A. (2005). Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?....................................... 42
Amnesty International. (2017). Use of force. Guidelines for implementation of the UN basic principles
on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials.................................................................... 43
Sands, P. (2025, November 19). Trump and his ilk imagine a world without international law → but they
will not achieve it......................................................................................................................................... 43
Hathaway, O.A. & Shapiro, S.J. (2026, January 13). A world without rules: The consequences of
Trump’s assault on international law............................................................................................................45
, 3
Lecture 1: Introduction – Framing Security & the Rule of Law
Bedner (2010). An Elementary Approach to the Rule of Law.
Introduction
● Problem & aim: Notes widespread disagreement about what “rule of law” means and the
practical harm this causes for research and donor programmes; proposes a clear
conceptual framework to dissect definitions into elements for better analysis and
evaluation.
Two Functions Of The Rule Of Law
● Core functions identified: (1) protect citizens against the state (prevent arbitrary state
power) and (2) protect citizens against one another (secure property, life, order); both
are central and sometimes in tension.
Competing Definitions
● Why definitions vary: Reviews “thin→thick” and “formal→substantive” distinctions,
donor/practitioner narrowness (property/economic focus), and political uses of the term;
argues no single definition will satisfy all audiences.
Dissecting The Rule Of Law Definitions
● Method proposed: Break the umbrella concept into discrete elements, then classify
them → this allows clearer comparison, contextualisation, and empirical testing of “rule
of law” claims.
1st Category → Procedural elements
● Rule by law: The state should govern by general legal rules (not ad hoc decrees);
rule-by-law can still be abused if rules enable arbitrary power.
● State actions are subject to law (legality): Government acts must have a legal basis;
beware discretionary “open concepts”, retroactive legalisation, and de facto rule outside
the law.
● Formal legality: Laws should be clear, stable, public and accessible so people can
predict consequences (essential for economic behaviour and fairness).
● Democracy (procedural participation): Treats democracy as contested but notes its
relevance to making government responsive and legitimating law; local participatory
devices are relevant.
2nd Category → Substantive elements
, 4
● Subordination to principles of justice: Law and its interpretation should be guided by
(written or widely-held) principles of justice, morality and due process.
● Protection of individual rights and liberties: Human rights (e.g., the right to a fair trial)
are commonly included and provide more concrete substantive standards.
● Furtherance of social human rights: Discusses the debate over including
socio-economic rights (food, education); argues that inclusion matters for the
poor/disadvantaged, even if analytically contestable.
● Protection of group rights: Treats group/collective rights as sometimes part of the
framework (e.g., indigenous/group protections), noting controversy but practical
importance.
3rd Category → Controlling mechanisms (guardian institutions)
● Independent judiciary: Central controlling actor → independence and access are crucial
to enforce procedural/substantive elements; discusses institutional and empirical
dimensions (tenure, court management, access).
● Other guardian institutions: Ombudsmen, national human rights institutions,
anti-corruption bodies, etc., often supplement or temporarily substitute for courts and are
important in practice.
The Elementary Model As A Research Tool
● How to use it: The paper turns the elements into interdisciplinary research questions
(legal + empirical) to evaluate each element in context, rather than relying on a single
definition; it provides concrete question sets for each element/category.
Related Research Questions (Examples)
● Procedural: e.g., To what extent does government act outside the law? Are laws published
and stable?
● Substantive: e.g., Are fundamental principles and human rights legally guaranteed and
implemented?
● Controlling mechanisms: e.g., Is the judiciary independent, impartial, and accessible?
Do other oversight bodies exist and function?
Concluding Remarks
● Practical aim: The model keeps the adaptability of the rule-of-law concept while
offering structure for clearer debate, better indicator design, and more useful
donor/programme evaluation.
