So far hardly any Swedish scientific projects have dealt with the rule of law in the area of health and medical care. Legal research concerning the area focuses on different aspects of patient rights, but not on the rule of law itself. The rule of law is a central requirement for theadministrative regulation and a decisive aspect of quality within the services of the public sector (Marcusson 2010). It is often perceived as a "silent" prerequisite and taken for granted among patients as well as among health care professionals. This has, in turn, led to a lack of analysis and research regarding the implementation of the rule of law, within the health care sector. The aim of our study is to investigate the rule of law as a central objective in compulsory psychiatric care. The overall aim is to include the rule of law as a necessary aspect of quality and find ways to operationalize the concept. The rule of law has special relevance in these situations, as the patient here finds him/herself in a particularly vulnerable situation, dependent on the care provider and subject to means that affect his or her integrity. Different versions of involuntary measures and the formal, as well as the substantial side of the rule of law are taken into account. Special attention is given to the fact that care is increasingly provided in collaboration with different care providers, and the possible implications this has for patients.