For a democracy to work, It is necessary that the government and the citizens respect the “rule of law”. Rule of law means the law is enforced equally, fairly and consistently. There are three important aspects of the rule of law in a democracy:

• No one is above the law.

• Everyone must obey the law

• Everyone is equal before the law

No one is above the law.

The rule of law means that no one is above the law. This includes the President, ministers and all other government workers. In a democracy, the government cannot do whatever it wants.

In a democracy, the people agree to give the government the power to rule on their behalf. Part of this agreement is that the government must to use its power within the limits set by the law.

Everyone must obey the law

The principle of rule of law means that the law applies to everyone. This includes the government, military (in courts martial that are specific to the military), police officers and judges as well as ordinary members of society. It does not matter if the person is very powerful or wealthy; they must obey the law.

Everyone is equal before the law

The principle of rule of law also means that everyone is equal under the law.

Equality works in two ways.

First, everyone must obey the same rules and regulations, and everyone gets the same punishment if they break the law. It does not matter if it is a poor or wealthy person who breaks the law everyone must be treated the same. For example, if the punishment for stealing is up to five years in prison, that punishment should apply to everyone.

The rule of law can be seen in the following ways:

• The actions of leaders and government workers are limited by the law.

• The rule of law protects citizens from crime, abuse and violence

• No citizens have more rights or privileges than other citizens

• All citizens are treated equally by the law. Even the very rich and powerful.

• When a citizen breaks the law, they are treated according to the same rules and regulations (McLaughlin 2015: 30-53).