In a special collaboration between Montfort Communications and Institution Quraysh (iQ), Professor Malik Dahlan has the privilege of discussing the role the Rule of Law has to play in current world events with one of the greatest jurists of our times, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Woolf. As a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords with a rich international career, Lord Woolf shares tales of dramatic interactions with Russia’s President Putin, his experience of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Hong Kong and his wisdom on the historic, but temporary, waves of global political tensions.

“There are problems, and there are things to be very worried about, but in general, my feeling remains that looking at the matter globally, across countries, the appreciation of the Rule of Law is continually growing”, Lord Woolf reassures.

History repeats itself

Casting his mind back, he spots a trend. Today’s tensions between the West and Russia and China he admits are all too familiar to when leadership rivalries did not respect the Rule of Law.

The most recent example of this is, of course, the police brutality and absence of police impartiality displayed in the murder of George Floyd. The systematic disregard of fair and impartial treatment by authorities for the citizens they are employed to protect, is an indicative red flag that the law is losing command in society.

Despite current world events, Lord Woolf is optimistic for the future. This COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests and the political tensions he views as temporary in the overall improvement of the world’s order.

“I say worries, but I believe in the long term we can afford to be optimistic”, Lord Woolf reiterates.

State prosperity 

The Rule of Law is a system of accountability for citizens and institutions, as well as the government to ensure each branch is subject to the same checks and balances. i.e. not even the government is above the law.

“The observance of the Rule of Law is linked to the continued development and profitability of the state”, he explains when reflecting upon his years of travel around the world to educate about its importance.

Hong Kong

And there is no better evidence of the success of the Rule of Law in generating wealth than in Hong Kong. Following the 1997 ‘one country, two systems’ agreement with China, Hong Kong has prospered.

However, now it is under threat. The CCP are attacking Hong Kong’s system of liberties, modelled under the British system of law, which is not only at odds with the Chinese system, but viewed as a threat to the CCP’s enduring rule.

In China, “it is the party that is supreme, it is not the court”, Lord Woolf explains as the crux of today’s ongoing battle.

Post COVID-19

Lastly, he predicts that technology will be of great assistance to steering the modern world out of the pandemic aftermath.

But, with some final wise words of advice he warns, “the perfect is sometimes the enemy of the good”. 

Discussed in this podcast episode

• Introduction to Lord Woolf and his history of achievements


• Is the Rule of Law under threat?


• Today’s political tensions are temporary 


• The Rule of Law and Hong Kong 


• The Rule of Law as a threat to China


• Lord Woolf’s unexpected encounter with Putin


• Post COVID-19 advice – technology to the rescue

Links

• https://montfort.london/


• https://quraysh.com/


• https://quraysh.com/the-rt-hon-the-lord-woolf/


• https://members.parliament.uk/member/1773/career


• https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/people/academic-staff/items/malik-rdahlan.html


• https://www.squire.law.cam.ac.uk/about-librarya-tradition-benefaction/squire-centenary-lecture-lord-woolf-rule-law-and-change