Briefing | POLITICS BRIEF

The gavel and the robe

Established and emerging democracies display a puzzling taste in common: both have handed increasing amounts of power to unelected judges. The fourth article in our series on changes in the mature democracies examines the remarkable growth and many different forms of judicial review

Aug 5th 1999|

TO SOME they are unaccountable elitists, old men (and the rare woman) in robes who meddle in politics where they do not belong, thwarting the will of the people. To others they are bulwarks of liberty, champions of the individual against abuses of power by scheming politicians, arrogant bureaucrats and the emotional excesses of transient majorities.

This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “The gavel and the robe”