Course Co-ordinator: Dr T Stack

Pre-requisite(s): Normally available only to students in Programme Year 3.

Note(s): This course may NOT be included as part of a graduating curriculum with Rule of Law in Latin America B. This course will not be available in 2012/13.

This course will address recent debates about the rule of law in Latin America. Politicians across the continent (and in other parts of the world) have been proclaiming the virtues of the "rule of law". That is partly because international bodies such as World Bank are making rule-of-law reforms a condition of financial aid. But what do politicians mean by the rule of law, are they putting it into practice, and if so, with what consequences? For example, is the US supposed to be the model, and if so, does it live up to its ideals? Within Latin America, given the rhetoric about the rule of law, how can we explain the slow pace of judicial reform in the face of fast-paced electoral reform? Are governments themselves bound by the rule of law, or is it just for their citizens? And does the rule of law just serve the interests of political and economic elites? Or can it bring equality, and if so, what kind of equality? Is it enough to be equal before the law, or could the rule of law do better that that?

1 two-hour seminar per week.

1st Attempt: Two 2,000 word essays (40% each) and in-course assessment (20%) (consisting of 10% student-led discussion and 10% individual oral presentation).

Resit: Two 2,000 word essays (50% each).