One Law to Rule Them All – Pros + Cons of Global Laws, Universal Principles + The Future of Global Governance

With increasing globalisation and the convergence of laws already underway, the world is naturally moving toward legal alignment for various legal practice areas. For example, Brazil has recently passed legislation written with the assistance of AI tools like ChatGPT—potentially incorporating principles drawn from other, more dominant legal jurisdictions in the AI world. This highlights a growing trend where nations may borrow and adapt legal concepts to address shared challenges.

Similarly, global law firm supermergers reflect the legal sector’s move towards consolidation and alignment. Examples include the recent merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling to form A&O Shearman, estimated to have over 4,000 attorneys across 48 offices with a combined revenue of $3.4 billion. Or the recent combination of Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord to create a firm that would have generated $1.5 billion in revenue last year.  Or Womble Bond Dickinson agreeing to combine with Lewis Roca to form an entity with 1,300+ lawyers.

Some of the biggest global law firm mergers in the 21st century overall include the following:

• DLA Piper – The merger of Piper Rudnick and DLA LLP created the world’s third largest law firm at the time.
• Clifford Chance – The merger of Clifford Chance with Rogers & Wells and Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster created one of the largest global law firms.
• Hogan Lovells – The merger of Hogan & Hartson and Lovells of London was, at the time, described as “the legal sector’s biggest.”
• A&O Shearman – The merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling.
• Dentons – The merger of Dentons with PJS Law. And previously in Scotland merging with Maclay Murray & Spens LLP.

WardblawG’s Founder, Gav Ward, recalls sitting in the top of the Stair Building at Glasgow University’s School of Law [note this thesis has personal views and is not connected with said School] in a law tutorial 20 years ago, where there was discussion of the real effects of globalisation and the law starting to take shape. Two decades later—and with AI, smartphones, the internet, social media, and rapid technological advances—the pace of change has accelerated dramatically. The time has come to consider more widespread, wholesale legal reform. And now might well be the perfect time for the right people to join together to make it all happen with the new tools we have available – as Professor Richard Susskind wrote recently in The Times, “AI won’t just speed up the legal system — it will revolutionise it.”

A set of global laws, where practicable, feasible, and diplomatically possible, could provide useful answers to meet the demands of modern society.

It may be possible for a new visionary framework for a universal law that combines the best elements of existing legal systems—from the US Constitution, UK common law, EU regulations, Canadian inclusivity, and Australian adaptability, as well as principles from the other largest 20 economies, including China, India, Japan, Germany, France, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Africa, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Argentina, and Sweden—to create a global rulebook for the modern era.

While the benefits, discussed below, can be substantial for certain places, this would not be without its obstacles and indeed, per footer warnings to be heeded, may not be in everyone’s best interests. Implementing global laws requires overcoming cultural, economic, and political differences, as well as addressing the tension between global governance and national sovereignty. The practicalities of enforcement, the need for adaptable frameworks, and the integration of modern technologies add further layers of complexity.

Nevertheless, this thesis serves as an initial starting point to encourage and inspire legal futurists, visionaries, and legislators to begin this important conversation. It offers a framework for rethinking how laws can adapt to a world that is more interconnected than ever before. By addressing both the opportunities and challenges ahead, this work aims to spark broader dialogue and exploration into how global laws might shape the future of governance, fairness, and sustainability, while keeping open individual country sovereignty and the rights of self-determination for people.

Why Do We Need Global Laws?

The modern world faces unprecedented challenges: artificial intelligence, quantum computing, environmental degradation, space colonisation, and global inequality. Traditional laws, rooted in national boundaries, are struggling to keep pace.

Some laws are far too outdated to address the challenges of the modern world. For example, copyright law, designed in an era before the internet, smartphones, and AI, is increasingly unfit for purpose. It struggles to account for AI-generated content, digital ownership, and cross-border intellectual property rights. Global laws could enable a wholesale overhaul of such outdated frameworks, creating adaptable, future-proof solutions on a worldwide scale.

Global laws could aim to bridge these gaps by providing a universal legal framework focused on interconnectedness, innovation, access to justice, universal human rights and ethical responsibility—a foundation for progress that ensures fairness, sustainability, and collaboration.

Five Main Benefits of Global Laws

There are many key benefits that would be generated through us having global laws in place:-

1. Promotes Global Cooperation and Stability
   • Benefit: Global laws facilitate collaboration between nations by establishing shared principles and frameworks for addressing common challenges, such as climate change, human rights, and international trade.
   • Impact: This cooperation fosters peace, reduces conflicts, and promotes diplomatic solutions to disputes, ensuring greater geopolitical stability.
2. Enhances Legal Certainty and Predictability
   • Benefit: By harmonising legal standards, global laws create predictability for businesses, governments, and individuals operating across borders.
   • Impact: Clear legal frameworks reduce ambiguity, lower transaction costs, and encourage international trade and investment by providing consistent rules and protections.
3. Protects Fundamental Rights and Human Dignity
   • Benefit: Global laws, particularly in areas such as human rights and humanitarian law, protect individuals from exploitation, discrimination, and abuse.
   • Impact: They establish safeguards for vulnerable populations, ensuring basic freedoms and equality, regardless of nationality or location.
4. Facilitates Solutions to Global Challenges
   • Benefit: Global laws provide mechanisms for addressing transnational issues, including climate change, cybercrime, terrorism, pandemics, and technological advancements.
   • Impact: They enable coordinated efforts to tackle urgent problems that no single nation can resolve alone, ensuring sustainable development and collective security.
5. Supports Economic Growth and Fair Trade
   • Benefit: By regulating cross-border trade, intellectual property rights, and corporate governance, global laws create a level playing field for businesses and investors.
   • Impact: This fosters innovation, economic growth, and equitable competition while protecting consumers and workers through shared standards and accountability.

Global laws offer a pathway to harmonising governance, protecting rights, and addressing shared challenges in an interconnected world. However, their success depends on balancing economic interests with ethical principles to ensure fairness and inclusivity.

Five Main Features and Principles of Global Laws

The following are some of the main features and principles:-

1. Universality and Inclusivity
   • Feature: Global laws are designed to apply universally, transcending national borders and legal systems to address issues of shared global concern, such as human rights, environmental protection, and trade regulation.
   • Benefit: They promote fairness and equality by establishing common principles that uphold fundamental rights and responsibilities across all jurisdictions.
2. Harmonisation of Legal Standards
   • Feature: These laws aim to harmonise legal standards, ensuring consistency in regulations and interpretations, particularly in areas such as international trade, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.
   • Benefit: Harmonisation reduces conflicts between legal systems, streamlines cross-border transactions, and provides businesses and individuals with greater legal certainty.
3. Flexibility for Local Adaptation
   • Feature: While global laws set overarching principles, they often allow flexibility for nations to adapt provisions to their unique cultural, social, and economic contexts.
   • Benefit: This feature preserves local sovereignty and diversity while promoting broader cooperation and compliance with international standards.
4. Enforceability through International Bodies
   • Feature: Global laws often rely on international institutions such as the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the World Trade Organisation to enforce agreements and resolve disputes.
   • Benefit: These mechanisms provide structured processes for accountability, dispute settlement, and sanctions, enhancing the authority and credibility of global laws.
5. Focus on Emerging and Shared Challenges
   • Feature: Global laws are forward-looking, addressing modern challenges such as climate change, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence governance, and human rights violations.
   • Benefit: They create frameworks to tackle transnational issues effectively, fostering global cooperation and sustainable development.

Main Potential Features of Global Laws Per Legal Practice Area

A global legal framework could achieve the following in different practice areas (and see below for some draft examples):-

1. Intellectual Property Law

• • Modernise protections for AI-generated content and collaborative creations.
  • Promote fairness while enabling global knowledge-sharing.
  • For further reading see The Einstein of AI-Based Science? Gav Ward Partners with Quantum Scientist John Messing to Publish on the Significance Google Willow Chip and Multiverse Theory

2. Employment Law

• • Address workforce disruption caused by automation and AI.
  • Introduce retraining programs and lifelong learning policies globally.
  • For further reading see The Next Marx or Musk? Gav Ward Proposes Employment Laws for Rights and Equality of Workforces of the Future

3. Business and Commercial Law

• • Standardise regulations for blockchain transactions and AI governance.
  • Promote ethical competition and fair trade across borders.
  • For further reading see Innovating Business Law Like Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates? Ward’s Law Proposes Global Business Laws for the Future

4. Environmental Law

• • Enforce unified climate action policies to tackle global challenges.
  • Ensure sustainable practices for energy harvesting and resource use.
  • For further reading see The Next Nikola Tesla or Marie Curie of Climate Change Legal Innovation? Gav Ward Proposes Global Law Approach

5. Space Law

• • Create treaties for resource-sharing, conflict prevention, and accountability.
  • Promote ethical exploration and sustainable expansion into space.
  • For further reading see the footnotes on The Next Leonardo da Vinci? Gav Ward Proposes New Efficient & Effective Approach to Property Law and Conveyancing in the Future

6. Data Privacy and Cybersecurity

• • Protect digital sovereignty while enabling data-sharing for innovation.
  • Establish universal standards for AI transparency and accountability.

7. Human Rights Law

• • Promote universal human rights protections across nations.
  • Address global inequality through collaborative legal reforms.

8. Health and Biotech Law

• • Regulate genetic engineering, biotechnology, and medical AI.
  • Ensure ethical standards for advancements in healthcare.

9. Maritime and Trade Law

• • Manage international waters and trade routes fairly and sustainably.
  • Prevent resource exploitation and maintain peace at sea.

10. Criminal Law and Justice Reform

• • Establish global frameworks for tackling cybercrime and terrorism.
  • Modernise justice systems to address emerging technological crimes.

Draft Global Law Examples

As refered to in the Features section above, the following are just some examples of what global laws could look like if implemented. While these ideas aim to inspire discussion and forward-thinking approaches, the author appreciates that similar versions to some of these already exist in international treaties, conventions, and agreements. The examples listed below are intended to demonstrate how these concepts could be modernised, expanded, or unified on a broader, more consistent scale.

1. Global AI Ethics Law
A framework regulating the ethical use of AI, including transparency, accountability, and fairness, ensuring AI systems operate in line with human rights and societal values.

2. Universal Climate Action Treaty
Binding commitments for all nations to reduce carbon emissions, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development. See eg this article on our ClimateChangeBlawg site, one of the ‘Ward Blawgs’

3. International Space Governance Act
Laws governing exploration, resource use, and conflict prevention in outer space, ensuring peaceful and sustainable expansion beyond Earth.

4. Global Data Privacy and Security Regulation
Unified standards for data protection, cybersecurity, and cross-border data transfers, safeguarding digital rights worldwide.

5. Universal Digital Copyright Act
Modernised intellectual property protections accounting for AI-generated content, ensuring fairness while fostering innovation.

6. Global Consumer Protection Law
Standardised rights for consumers in digital and physical marketplaces.

7. International Refugee, Migration Law and Family Law 
Fair and humane frameworks for managing refugee crises and migration flows and resulting family law issues. See e.g. What Can Family Law and Immigration Law Learn from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens? One of Ward’s Blawgs Explains in Line with The Gav Ward Code

8. Global Corporate Governance Code
Standards for corporate accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership.

9. Global Anti-Corruption Framework
Unified policies to combat corruption and promote financial transparency.

10. Universal Access to Justice Act
Ensures fair legal representation and access to justice worldwide.

Draft Global Law Bodies – Examples of Universal Entities Needed for Effective Global Laws

Again these are just examples and, in admission, the following haven’t been fact-checked and mostly generated by AI below as examples of the sorts of global bodies that may be required in the future should some of the thoughts above be relevant for any given global law (and see risks, dangers and warnings noted below re avoiding dystopian situations like Orwell’s 1984) :-

1. International Legislative Assembly
   • Purpose: Draft, debate, and enact global laws through democratic representation from all nations.
   • Key Features:
     • Structured similarly to the United Nations General Assembly, but with legislative authority.
     • Incorporates proportional representation based on population, economic contribution, and regional equality.
     • Ensures inclusivity by involving stakeholders such as indigenous groups, civil society organisations, and scientific communities.
   • Function: Propose and pass binding legislation addressing global challenges like climate change, AI governance, and human rights.
2. Global Judiciary and Dispute Resolution Mechanism
   • Purpose: Enforce compliance, resolve disputes, and interpret global laws consistently.
   • Key Features:
     • Modelled on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) but with expanded jurisdiction and binding authority.
     • Includes regional courts to handle lower-level disputes while maintaining a unified appellate system.
     • Operates independently from political interference to maintain impartiality.
   • Function: Provide enforcement mechanisms, including sanctions and legal remedies for violations.
3. Global Regulatory and Oversight Authorities
   • Purpose: Monitor compliance and enforce regulations in specific areas such as trade, environment, cybersecurity, and AI ethics.
   • Key Features:
     • Builds upon existing bodies like the World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and International Labour Organization (ILO).
     • Oversees industry standards, data privacy laws, and equitable trade practices.
     • Employs expert panels to review cases and recommend reforms.
   • Function: Ensure that commercial and technological advancements align with global laws and ethical standards.
4. Global Ethics and Human Rights Commission
   • Purpose: Safeguard ethical principles, social justice, and human rights under global laws.
   • Key Features:
     • Expands on the work of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and Amnesty International.
     • Establishes frameworks for AI ethics, biotechnological advancements, and emerging technologies.
     • Conducts investigations into human rights abuses and proposes reparations.
   • Function: Promote fairness and inclusivity, addressing inequality and exploitation while adapting laws to evolving societal values.
5. International Economic and Environmental Governance Council
   • Purpose: Balance economic growth with sustainability and environmental responsibility.
   • Key Features:
     • Integrates elements of the Paris Agreement, World Economic Forum (WEF), and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
     • Develops strategies to tackle global issues such as resource distribution, renewable energy, and biodiversity protection.
     • Provides funding and resources to nations for implementing sustainability laws.
   • Function: Enforce climate agreements, economic regulations, and sustainable development goals.

For global laws to function effectively, these bodies would need to operate with transparency, accountability, and democratic legitimacy. They must also address concerns about sovereignty, cultural diversity, and ethical priorities, ensuring that laws reflect shared values rather than serving the commercial interests of dominant powers.

Risks, Dangers and Warnings for a Global Law Approach

Pursuing a global law approach—a unified legal framework governing international relations and global issues—offers potential for harmony and cooperation. However, it also presents significant dangers and warnings, including the following:

1. Loss of Sovereignty and Cultural Identity

• Danger: Nations may feel that a global legal system undermines their sovereignty, traditions, and unique legal principles, leading to cultural homogenisation.
• Warning: Imposing uniform rules risks disregarding diverse cultural values, religious beliefs, and legal traditions, potentially breeding resentment and resistance rather than cooperation.

2. Centralised Power and Authoritarianism

• Danger: A global legal authority could amass excessive control, leading to authoritarianism or a technocratic elite dictating policies without adequate checks and balances.
• Warning: Without democratic safeguards, such a system could unintentionally evolve into an unaccountable bureaucracy or global oligarchy, echoing concerns raised in dystopian literature like Orwell’s 1984.

3. Inequality and Exploitation

• Danger: A one-size-fits-all legal framework may favour wealthier, more powerful nations, perpetuating economic inequality and marginalising developing countries.
• Warning: Rather than promoting fairness, global laws could institutionalise imbalances of power, enabling wealthier nations to dominate decision-making processes.

4. Complexity and Enforcement Challenges

• Danger: Enforcing global laws across diverse jurisdictions with differing resources, infrastructures, and legal interpretations may lead to inconsistencies and selective enforcement.
• Warning: Disputes over enforcement mechanisms, accountability, and jurisdiction could create gridlock, undermining the credibility of the legal framework.

5. Ethical and Technological Misalignment

• Danger: Global laws regulating technologies, such as AI, biotechnology, or surveillance, may fail to keep pace with rapid innovation, leaving gaps or ethical conflicts.
• Warning: Misalignment between technological advancement and legal frameworks risks either stifling innovation or failing to prevent harmful misuse, raising ethical concerns about fairness and privacy.

Conclusion

While a global law approach holds promise for addressing planetary challenges—climate change, cybercrime, and human rights—it also poses dangers of centralisation, inequality, and ethical conflict. Careful design and safeguards will be critical to prevent the dangers of dominance, rigidity, and exploitation.

For Law Makers and Legal Jurists Looking to Build a Better Legal Future Together

This is an invitation to think bigger, connect deeply, and innovate boldly. It is a call to action for legal futurists, policymakers, jurists, and visionaries to explore new possibilities and reimagine what a unified, global legal framework for certain areas could achieve but acknowledging the risks and dangers too and where lessons from history should be heeded.

By daring to think timelessly, building boldly, and shaping the future responsibly, we can lay the foundations for legal systems that not only address today’s challenges but also inspire sustainable governance for generations to come.

Would be great to hear from anyone else interested in this topic.  Perhaps a law student reading, even, might pick up on this subject and write a first class law dissertation in the future. They might well search for one of these keywords whether in a search engine or generative AI engine, perhaps too first:- Global law, universal law, international cooperation, legal harmonisation, sovereignty, cultural diversity, human rights, ethical governance, economic regulation, environmental sustainability, dispute resolution, enforcement mechanisms, legislative assembly, judicial authority, compliance monitoring, trade standards, AI governance, technological ethics, global accountability, social justice, equity, sustainability goals, transnational challenges, fairness, inclusivity, global ethics, human dignity, collective security, democratic legitimacy, regulatory oversight, international courts, legal frameworks, global stability, economic growth, environmental protection, accountability systems, emerging technologies, societal values, legal predictability, interconnectedness, fairness principles, adaptability, innovation frameworks.

Consider it, perhaps, to be the beginning of a dialogue, encouraging thought and debate on all sides of the subject and some initial materials for future collaboration. This is an invitation to think bigger, connect deeply, and innovate boldly – for good.

This is the Way?

Very best wishes to all. ^G

P.S. Warnings based on Tolkien’s works, in relation to the reference in the title to ‘One Law to Rule Them All’

J.R.R. Tolkien’s phrase “One Ring to rule them all” from The Lord of the Rings carries profound connotations, blending themes of power, corruption, and control. It resonates far beyond its literal meaning within the story, acting as a metaphor for the seductive nature of absolute power and the dangers inherent in its pursuit.

Literary and Symbolic Connotations:

1. Totalitarian Power and Domination:
   • The phrase suggests an overarching force that subjugates all others, evoking images of tyranny and authoritarianism. The Ring represents a centralised, unchecked authority that dominates and erases individuality, mirroring political regimes that seek control through fear and manipulation.
2. Corruption and Moral Decay:
   • The Ring’s ability to corrupt even the noblest characters highlights how power can erode morality and integrity. It symbolises the temptation of control and the moral compromises often made in pursuit of dominance, reflecting timeless struggles with ambition and greed.
3. Addiction and Obsession:
   • The Ring’s allure mirrors addictive behaviours, where the desire for possession consumes individuals, rendering them paranoid, isolated, and broken. This connotation speaks to human vulnerabilities, such as the lust for material wealth or influence.
4. Technological and Modern Parallels:
   • Critics have drawn comparisons between the Ring and modern technologies or weapons (e.g., nuclear power), suggesting its symbolic representation of tools that grant immense power but risk catastrophic misuse.
5. Mythological Resonance:
   • The phrase taps into ancient myths about magical artefacts, such as the Nibelungen Ring in Wagner’s operas, which also conveys themes of greed and downfall, tying Tolkien’s work to a broader mythological tradition.
6. Universal Control vs Free Will:
   • Philosophically, it poses questions about free will versus determinism. The Ring’s domination challenges the autonomy of other beings, making it a symbol of systemic oppression and resistance against enforced order.

Cultural and Modern Implications:

• In modern contexts, the expression has transcended the book and entered popular culture as shorthand for any tool, system, or technology that centralises control, from governments and corporations to AI and surveillance systems.
• It has also been adapted into debates about ethical responsibility, especially in AI development and global governance, highlighting parallels to contemporary concerns about unchecked technological advancement—a theme aligned with Ward’s Law and the Gav Ward Code principles of balancing power and ethics.

Poetic Impact:

The rhythm and structure of the phrase, especially when coupled with the rest of the verse, impart a hypnotic and ominous tone:

“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

This dark lyricism reinforces the Ring’s sinister purpose, tying control to darkness—a metaphor for ignorance, loss of freedom, and moral blindness.

Tolkien’s expression endures because it taps into universal fears about power’s capacity to corrupt and destroy, making it a timeless warning about the perils of ambition unchecked by ethics—a theme that continues to resonate in discussions of leadership, innovation, and technological governance.

P.S. for the purpose of us doing as much good as possible in the future, see Ward’s Law here and The Gav Ward Code here. Would appreciate if any future scholars or wayfarers refer to those pages in conjunction with any points in this post.