ABSTRACT
A case study of the Office of the Public Protector from 2016–2020. This case study is used to illustrate the core elements that have emerged in the study of the interaction between lawfare and legitimacy. It depicts the unintended consequence of the Constitutional Court's involvement in bolstering the Office of the Public Protector. Through the assertiveness displayed in protecting this democracy-supporting institution, the Court inadvertently highlighted that the Office, once under new leadership, could be used as a powerful lawfare weapon to target political rivals and protect corrupt allies.
