THE TECHNOLOGICAL LIMITS OF THE RULE OF LAW, AND THE PERSPECTIVE OF DEVELOPING STATES

Abstract

The 4th industrial revolution and its attendant technologies has given rise to many discussions around the impact of technology on justice and the rule of law. The working assumption here that an effective state is necessary to establish the rule of law, thus it is necessary to understand the impact of such technology on the state itself to fully appreciate the impact of such technology on the rule of law. In doing so, it is important to recognise and consider that not all states are the same and it is necessary to consider the differences between states. Moreover, such topics are generally discussed from the perspective of developed and industrialized states, where such technology is most extensively developed and deployed. But the impact of the 4th industrial revolution is not limited to the developed world, and communities in developing states constantly engage with such technology, particularly with social media, even if such technology and platforms are developed elsewhere. This paper seeks to position the discussion within the context of developing countries in Southeast Asia to demonstrate the necessity of developing technologically relevant institutions. In doing so, the past experiences of post-colonial developing states, who are on their own journey in establishing effective institutions relevant to their communities, would be invaluable in this process.