Law plays a critical and all-pervasive role in development. Indeed, when in January 1999 I introduced the Comprehensive Development Framework as a tool for ensuring that the structural, social, and human aspects of development would be addressed in a systematic and holistic fashion alongside the macroeconomic dimension, I listed an effective law and justice system as one of the key structural pillars of development. Laws and regulations are indispensable instruments through which societies express their order and, indeed, their aspirations. Social peace and equity, without which no lasting progress can be achieved, require a culture of respect for the rule of law, and an effective and impartial judiciary to ensure that both government and citizens stay the course.