Handbook

This course will provide students with an introduction to legal systems and traditions in Asia through a focus on the development and promotion of the ideal of the rule of law. The rule of law is now commonly promoted by scholars, politicians and legal professions as essential to political and democratic reform in Asia. The rule of law is however an inherently contested concept, and there is vigorous debate over its substance, content and practical value. This course will provide an opportunity for students to reflect on law reform in a number of countries across Asia. Core themes of the course include: law reform in authoritarian states; constitutional law; constitutionalism; the courts; the role of judicial review; human rights institutions; religion-state relations; and legal pluralism. This is a research-intensive subject