The law can seem remote, arcane, the stuff of specialists. But it isn't, because for those of us who live in democracies, the law begins with us.

El Feki contrasts the common perception of law as technical and distant with a democratic ideal in which law is rooted in popular sovereignty. The quote argues that legal systems are not merely the domain of judges, lawyers, or legislators; they ultimately derive legitimacy from citizens who authorize institutions, consent to rules, and can demand reform. It also implies civic responsibility: if law “begins with us,” then disengagement allows injustice or unaccountable power to persist. The statement functions as a call to demystify legal processes and to treat legal rights and obligations as part of everyday democratic participation rather than specialist knowledge.