Tribute

K. von Benda-Beckmann

Throughout his career, legal certainty has been a constant concern in the work of Jan Michiel Otto.¹ It was a major issue in his empirical research on state administration in Egypt and Indonesia. It has been a driving force in his comparative work. His inaugural lecture was also devoted to the topic (Otto 2000b). His contributions to the rule of law are premised on a deep conviction that it is vital for legal certainty as a core pillar of a well-functioning society and its economy. In this perspective, uncertainty is an anomaly, a result of a poorly functioning state, while certainty is the norm.