rule of law the largely formal or procedural properties of a well-ordered legal system. Commonly, these properties are thought to include: a prohibition of arbitrary power (the lawgiver is also subject to the laws); laws that are general, prospective, clear, and consistent (capable of guiding conduct); and tribunals (courts) that are reasonably accessible and fairly structured to hear and determine legal claims. Contemporary discussions of the rule of law focus on two major questions: (1) to what extent is conformity to the rule of law essential to the very idea of a legal system; and (2) what is the connection between the rule of law and the substantive moral value of a legal system? See also PHILOSOPHY OF LAW, POLITICAL PHILOSOPH. P.S.