Does the Concept of Rule of Law have any Material Content? : A Nordic Point of View

Oikeusvaltio-käsitteellä on muodollinen ja aineellinen sisältö, mikä perustellaan artikkelissa oikeuskirjallisuuteen ja -käytäntöön nojautuen. What does the concept of rule of law mean? Does it contain any material elements? Despite the difficulties it is worth trying to define the rule of law, but in a certain context. Now this context relates to the Nordic (mainly Finnish), German (Rechtsstaat) and British conceptions of the rule of law as well as to the rule of law in the European Union. The rule of law is a relatively contradictory concept from a theoretical perspective. For example, one may disagree, whether the concept of democracy is a prerequisite for the rule of law. Another difficult question seems to be, whether the concept of the rule of law contains a substantive element. Third issue to disagree relates to the question, whether and to what extent one should take into account the contemporary European and international interpretations of the concept. In this article the emphasis is on the EU law perspective in a sense that the rule of law is connected to respect for democracy and the protection of human rights just like it has been presented in the Article 2 TEU.Peer reviewe