Achilles Heel Democracy Judicial Autonomy Rule Law Central America 9781107178328

The Achilles Heel of DemocracyJudicial Autonomy and the Rule of Law in Central America\nAuthor(s): Rachel E. Bowen\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781107178328, 978-1107178328\nSynopsis\nFeaturing the first in-depth comparison of the judicial politics of five under-studied Central American countries, The Achilles Heel of Democracy offers a novel typology of 'judicial regime types' based on the political independence and societal autonomy of the judiciary. This book highlights the under-theorized influences on the justice system - criminals, activists, and other societal actors - and the ways that they intersect with more overtly political influences. Grounded in interviews with judges, lawyers, and activists, it presents the 'high politics' of constitutional conflicts in the context of national political conflicts as well as the 'low politics' of crime control and the operations of trial-level co.