Comparative Judicial Systems C. Guarnieri

Today, an increasing number of countries are confronting an unprecedented expansion of judicial power: more and more often decision‑making rights are transferred from the legislative and executive branches to the courts, a process labeled as the “judicialization of politics”. The course analyzes the traits of the phenomenon, its supporting conditions and its impact on the political system. Thus, the role of the judge in the process of adjudication and the whole structure of the judicial system are analyzed. Specific attention is devoted to the recruitment, training and independence of judges and prosecutors and to the institutional relationships between courts and the political environment. Different conceptions of the judicial role are analyzed and their political consequences assessed. The overall role of courts in different political systems is evaluated and future developments discussed. Finally, specific cases, from different national and supranational judicial systems – democratic and non-democratic - are considered.The course addresses itself to master (LM) students in political science and/or law and to anyone interested in the analysis of the transformations of contemporary political systems. At the end of the course, the student will be able to analyze in a comparative way the main elements of the judicial systems, their interactions, to relate them to the role played by courts in the political system and to assess perspectives of change in different political contexts.