That a court possesses the formal power of judicial review is no guarantee that its decisions will be obeyed. Courts are occasionally defied, and they can also be attacked in retaliation for decisions that frustrate the goals of political elites. Using a method of computer simulation called...

The role of Constitutional Courts in deeply divided societies is complicated by the danger that the salient societal cleavages may influence judicial decision-making and, consequently, undermine judicial independence and impartiality. With reference to the decisions of the Constitutional Court...