Healthy, just societies need to respect the rule of law, with clear and transparent justice, fair and independent processes, and safeguards to ensure that everyone is treated equally before the law.

The Council of Europe has designed a number of ways to make this reality throughout Europe, helping countries to set up and run legal and justice systems that reflect the needs of their citizens. In parallel, work is being carried out day to day to stop crimes that affect us all and know no borders, such as corruption, money laundering, trafficking in human beings, fake medicine and medical products, and cybercrime. Ensuring good conditions for prisoners, creating safe, inclusive and fair sports, and finding answers to the challenges of drugs and addiction are also key to creating fair societies.

Rule of Law based institutions

Well-functioning legal and democratic institutional structures based on the rule of law are necessary to ensure democratic security in Europe. Independent, impartial and efficient judiciaries are key to inspiring public trust and securing human rights. They guarantee that all individuals are treated equally before the law and that rights and freedoms are enjoyed in practice. Concerted and effective responses to common challenges and threats are required to consolidate a coherent pan-European legal space that reflects Council of Europe standards and findings fully, including in the areas of civil, public and private law and public international law.
The aim of the Council of Europe in this area is to achieve a pan-European legal area in which robust, independent, impartial, transparent and accessible institutions and procedures based on the rule of law exist at all levels.>

Action against crime, security and protection of citizens

Effective enjoyment of human rights, democratic stability and secure societies depend on countering all threats to the rule of law. These include terrorism and its financing, organised crime, money laundering, corruption, cybercrime, medicrime, trafficking in human beings and human organs, match fixing, doping, and violence and corruption in sport. It is also important to have well-run prisons and probation services with adequately trained staff in sufficient number and effective execution of penal sanctions. Law enforcement must likewise integrate a human rights-based approach aimed at combating ill-treatment and avoiding impunity.
The aim of the Council of Europe is effective protection of citizens from threats to the rule of law. It pursues a multidisciplinary approach and has developed key standards and legal treaties in areas such as terrorism and its financing, money laundering, cybercrime, corruption, counterfeiting of medical products, trafficking in human beings and in human organs. The focus is on ensuring that existing standards are implemented effectively, including the case law of the European Court of Human Rights; that new challenges are identified and responded to early, and that there is technical co-operation to address problem areas identified by relevant Council of Europe bodies. The Council of Europe has also developed a series of treaties which establish a common basis for co-operation in criminal matters across Europe and, increasingly, beyond.