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The Role of Judicial Associations in Resisting Rule of Law Backsliding : Hidden Pathways of Protecting Judicial Independence Amidst Rule of Law Decay

Gyöngyi, Petra LU orcid (2024) In International Journal of Law in Context 20(2). p.166-183
Abstract
Both Hungary and Poland have been in the spotlight regarding their democratic backsliding, with Executives exerting control over supposedly independent pillars of democracy, such as courts or the media. While the concerns about these countries also voiced by leaders of European institutions were similar, the resistance against the systematic erosion of judicial independence comes in different forms. Using comparative longitudinal case study methodology, this article shows that a defining characteristic in the potential, visibility and feasibility of what judges did or could do under the current threats depends on the role judicial associations, understood as representative collegial judicial bodies. More precisely, the format, organisation... (More)
Both Hungary and Poland have been in the spotlight regarding their democratic backsliding, with Executives exerting control over supposedly independent pillars of democracy, such as courts or the media. While the concerns about these countries also voiced by leaders of European institutions were similar, the resistance against the systematic erosion of judicial independence comes in different forms. Using comparative longitudinal case study methodology, this article shows that a defining characteristic in the potential, visibility and feasibility of what judges did or could do under the current threats depends on the role judicial associations, understood as representative collegial judicial bodies. More precisely, the format, organisation and operative tools of judicial associations contribute to their influence on prior judicial reforms and their capacity to withstand ongoing efforts in curtailing their independence from political actors. Empirically, the article reviews multiple judicial changes in the 1992-2015 period in both countries and assesses how judicial associations then shaped the divergent responses to recent attempts at limiting judicial independence. The differences in the legal framework, organisation and network reliance explains variance in resistance. Overall, the article broadens the theoretical and empirical framework for studying the role of courts and judges with considerations regarding professional association organisation and co-ordination, as a potential layer of studying judicial resistance. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Law in Context
volume
20
issue
2
pages
18 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85204100956
ISSN
1744-5531
DOI
10.1017/S1744552324000107
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a7ebcb32-7c4a-4ff5-956a-1a25a2794604
date added to LUP
2024-09-27 17:48:50
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:00:21
@article{a7ebcb32-7c4a-4ff5-956a-1a25a2794604,
  abstract     = {{Both Hungary and Poland have been in the spotlight regarding their democratic backsliding, with Executives exerting control over supposedly independent pillars of democracy, such as courts or the media. While the concerns about these countries also voiced by leaders of European institutions were similar, the resistance against the systematic erosion of judicial independence comes in different forms. Using comparative longitudinal case study methodology, this article shows that a defining characteristic in the potential, visibility and feasibility of what judges did or could do under the current threats depends on the role judicial associations, understood as representative collegial judicial bodies. More precisely, the format, organisation and operative tools of judicial associations contribute to their influence on prior judicial reforms and their capacity to withstand ongoing efforts in curtailing their independence from political actors. Empirically, the article reviews multiple judicial changes in the 1992-2015 period in both countries and assesses how judicial associations then shaped the divergent responses to recent attempts at limiting judicial independence. The differences in the legal framework, organisation and network reliance explains variance in resistance. Overall, the article broadens the theoretical and empirical framework for studying the role of courts and judges with considerations regarding professional association organisation and co-ordination, as a potential layer of studying judicial resistance.}},
  author       = {{Gyöngyi, Petra}},
  issn         = {{1744-5531}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{166--183}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Law in Context}},
  title        = {{The Role of Judicial Associations in Resisting Rule of Law Backsliding : Hidden Pathways of Protecting Judicial Independence Amidst Rule of Law Decay}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1744552324000107}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S1744552324000107}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}