The Alchemists
eBook - PDF

The Alchemists

Questioning our Faith in Courts as Democracy-Builders

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Alchemists

Questioning our Faith in Courts as Democracy-Builders

About this book

Can courts really build democracy in a state emerging from authoritarian rule? This book presents a searching critique of the contemporary global model of democracy-building for post-authoritarian states, arguing that it places excessive reliance on courts. Since 1945, both constitutional courts and international human rights courts have been increasingly perceived as alchemists, capable of transmuting the base materials of a nascent democracy into the gold of a functioning democratic system. By charting the development of this model, and critically analysing the evidence and claims for courts as democracy-builders, this book argues that the decades-long trend toward ever greater reliance on courts is based as much on faith as fact, and can often be counter-productive. Offering a sustained corrective to unrealistic perceptions of courts as democracy-builders, the book points the way toward a much needed rethinking of democracy-building models and a re-evaluation of how we employ courts in this role.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access The Alchemists by Tom Gerald Daly in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Law & Public Law. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Topic
Law
Subtopic
Public Law
Index
Law

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half-title
  3. Series information
  4. Title page
  5. Copyright information
  6. Dedication
  7. Table of contents
  8. Detailed Table of Contents
  9. List of Illustrations
  10. Preface
  11. Acknowledgements
  12. Table of Cases
  13. List of Abbreviations
  14. Introduction: An Onerous Role for Courts as Democracy-Builders
  15. 1 The Core Concept: Democratisation
  16. 2 The Rise and Limits of Constitutional Courts as Democracy-Builders
  17. 3 The Rise and Limits of Human Rights Courts as Democracy-Builders
  18. 4 ā€˜Democratisation Jurisprudence’: Framing Courts’ Democracy-Building Roles
  19. 5 Domestic Democratisation Jurisprudence in Action: Brazil Since 1988
  20. 6 Regional Democratisation Jurisprudence: Shaping Democracy from Outside
  21. 7 What Should Courts Do in a Young Democracy? Rethinking Our Approach
  22. Concluding Thoughts: Moving Beyond Our Court Obsession
  23. Bibliography
  24. Index