Introduction

Apex courts and the impactful decisions they render captivate the attention of society. They are a favourite topic of scholars in fields ranging from law to political science, are subject to constant media coverage, and shape the public's perception of law, justice, and the state like few other institutions. Yet how much do we really know about these ultimate arbiters of justice? For every sentence that legal scholars dissect under the microscope of doctrinal analysis, innumerable others are merely skimmed. For every landmark precedent that enters the law school curriculum, there are thousands of cases that are never mentioned. Despite the tremendous scrutiny, much of what apex courts do escapes our collective attention.