This book argues that three elements affect the political significance of judicial decisions. First is the status of judges (the way they are recruited and the guarantees they enjoy) and the way judges define their role in the judicial and political process. Second is the organization of the judicial system, including the existence of judicial review of legislation, the structure of trials and the arrangement of public prosecution. Thirdly, judicial power is affected by the broader political system: a polity in which power is divided and fragmented offers wider opportunities for the judiciary...