Tamir Moustafa, The Struggle for Constitutional Power: Law, Politics, and Economic Development in Egypt. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Summary: This book examines how judicial reform can both support and destabilize authoritarian regimes, using Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court as a case study. It investigates the paradox of a regime that created a relatively independent court to address internal governance challenges, only to see that same court become a platform for legal mobilization by rights advocates and opposition actors. While the court initially helped institutionalize state functions and support economic reform, it also opened space for constitutional challenges to authoritarian rule. The study sheds light on the complex role of legal professionals in constrained political environments, where courts and lawyers may simultaneously reinforce and undermine authoritarian power. By tracing the interaction between state goals and judicial autonomy, the book offers critical insights into when and how judicial reform in backsliding or authoritarian contexts can generate unexpected political consequences.