Beyond Judicial Reform: Courts as Political Actors in Latin America

Abstract

The books reviewed here fall into three broad categories which structure the remainder of this essay. Mirow and French address the history of law and legal systems, giving credence to the notion that law has long had significant political impacts across both authoritarian and democratic regimes through its influence on, and reflections of, the structure and organization of society. The edited volumes of Gloppen et al. and by Mainwaring and Welna focus on the role of the region’s courts as a check on the other branches of government and as providers of the ephemeral good of accountability. Finally, two studies of Argentina, using very different methodologies, analyze the manner by which judicial power is created and expanded.