PS 365 - COMPARATIVE JUDICIAL POLITICS

College of Arts and Sciences

Credit(s): 3

This course is designed to introduce students to the structures and functions of the judicial institution in various countries of the world. We examine the judicial branch of government through four dimensions using the overarching concepts of judicial structure and judicial function to guide our understanding of these dimensions. These four dimensions are: 1. judicial independence and legitimacy, 2. judicial review, 3. judicial reform, 4. the judiciary and the rule of law. These four dimensions are closely related. The power of judicial review is perhaps the most visible manifestation of judicial independence. The politics of judicial reform are greatly driven by the desire to create an independent judiciary. The establishment of an independent judiciary is a prerequisite for a functioning rule of law. We examine judiciaries in both developed and developing countries. We will also draw on lessons from the experiences of judiciaries in the North America, Western Europe, Latin America, Africa, Japan and India.

Approved for Distance Learning.