The Defense of Judicial Independence: A Global Imperative
In this essay, Mónica Castillejos-Aragón of UC Berkeley reflects on the value of judicial independence and surveys the global struggle to defend this cornerstone of democratic governance.
DownloadSince the Enlightenment, democratic theorists have stressed the importance of judicial independence for restraining political power and maintaining the checks and balances needed for good governance. Across the democratic world, hard-fought judicial freedoms are under attack, but brave citizens are standing up to protect this pillar of democracy and the rule of law.
In this essay, Mónica Castillejos-Aragón, a lecturer in legal studies at the UC Berkeley School of Law and an affiliate researcher with IGCC’s Future of Democracy Initiative, reflects on why judicial independence is worth fighting for and how that struggle is unfolding today.
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