In a critical assessment of the U.S. Supreme Court’s role in 2025, court watchers argue that the justices — particularly Chief Justice John Roberts — have largely enabled President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, weakening the …
Month: December 2025
Congressional Letter on DOJ Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
In December 2025, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress sent a formal letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche raising serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest and ethical …
When Judges Are Attacked, You Suffer
In this New York Times opinion video, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas warns that escalating political attacks on the judiciary are directly endangering judges and undermining the rule of law. Drawing on her personal experience …
European Court Finds Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal Violated EU Law
On December 18, 2025, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal breached fundamental principles of EU law and cannot be considered independent or impartial. The court cited serious irregularities …
Urribarri (2011). “Courts between democracy and hybrid authoritarianism: evidence from the Venezuelan Supreme Court.”
Urribarri, R. A. S. (2011). Courts between democracy and hybrid authoritarianism: evidence from the Venezuelan Supreme Court. Law & Social Inquiry, 36(4), 854-884. This article offers a theoretical discussion about courts in “hybrid regimes” that evolve from …
Kureshi (2021). “When Judges Defy Dictators”
Kureshi, Y. (2021). When Judges Defy Dictators. Comparative Politics, 53(2), 233-2. Under what conditions do judiciaries act assertively against authoritarian regimes? The author argues that the judiciary coalesces around institutional norms and preferences in response to the …
Kapiszewski (2011). “Tactical balancing: High court decision making on politically crucial cases.”
Kapiszewski, D. (2011). Tactical balancing: High court decision making on politically crucial cases. Law & Society Review, 45(2), 471-506. This article advances a new account of judicial behavior: the thesis of tactical balancing. Building on existing models …
Trochev & Ellett. (2014). “Judges and their allies: rethinking judicial autonomy through the prism of off-bench resistance”
Trochev, A., & Ellett, R. (2014). Judges and their allies: rethinking judicial autonomy through the prism of off-bench resistance. Journal of Law and Courts, 2(1), 67-91. The social construction of judicial power is a complicated process, …
Hilbink (2012), “The origins of positive judicial independence”
Hilbink argues that positive judicial independence—which she defines as judges’ willingness to assert legal authority against powerful actors—cannot be explained solely by political fragmentation or formal institutional arrangements. Drawing on comparative evidence and detailed case …
Domingos (2000), “Judicial Independence: The Politics of the Supreme Court in Mexico”
This article examines the role of the Supreme Court in the development of the Mexican political system. The judiciary provided an important source of regime legitimation, as it allowed for the consolidation of a state …