Epic clashes between democracy and the rule of law now increasingly arise in many Asian jurisdictions. Indeed, these new battlegrounds have demonstrated a global reality: that these vastly important principles not only complement one other and help to sustain governments and nations, but also frequently converge, thus jeopardising such institutional arrangements. Recent events in East Asia, such as the Taiwan Sunflower Movement and Hong Kong Umbrella Movement, have brought forth intriguing questions about the operation of and balance between democracy and the rule of law. These two principles are now increasingly at issue in a region that has embraced them in a variety of ways. The papers in this panel, primarily focused on East and Southeast Asia, provide a variety of critical perspectives to how these extremely important values play out in a number of jurisdictions.