ABSTRACT
Courts are important for the working and consolidation of democratic regimes. They facilitate civil government by contributing to the rule of law and by creating an environment conducive to economic growth. They also have a key role to play with regard to making power-holders accountable to the democratic rules of the game, and ensuring the protection of human rights as established in constitutions, conventions and laws. These are central premises in contemporary democratic theory-assumptions that underlie political reform efforts throughout the world. What is the connection between these goals and what happens in actual practice?
