According to the Rule of Law Index, prepared yearly by the World Justice Project, in 2025, 68% of countries worldwide experienced a decline in the rule of law, a bleak contrast to 57% the previous year. In what feels like a permanent rule of law crisis, revisiting the origins of the concept offers much-needed distance and room for reflection. This discussion with Fernanda Pirie focuses on the historical roots of the rule of law and what these roots tell us about our present time.
Fernanda Pirie is Professor of the Anthropology of Law, Director of the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, and Fellow of St. Cross College at the University of Oxford. In her research, she employs anthropological and socio-legal methods to compare legal practices and texts from different cultures and societies. Her most recent book, The Rule of Laws: A 4,000-year Quest to Order the World, published in 2021 by Profile Books and Basic Books, is a global history of law.
The conversation was led by Jan Młynarczyk. Lilit Hakobyan edited the audio file.
