Courts to the Rescue of the Public Interest: Lessons From Landmark Cases

This timely book examines the increasing pressure on courts to protect underrepresented matters of public interest at the risk of political reprisals. Rob van Gestel provides critical insights into the role of courts amidst the escalating global trend of the judicialization of politics due to ineffective government legislatures. The book illustrates that courts cannot avoid policy-making in public interest cases, and demonstrates that the legitimacy of judicial lawmaking in these instances extends beyond a correct interpretation of the law.

Chapters explore the different strategies used by judges across jurisdictions in Europe, the USA, India and South Africa to legitimize their decisions in contentious public interest cases. He discusses a number of global landmark cases, including the Urgenda Climate Case in the Netherlands and the Treatment Action Campaign Case on the prevention of HIV transmissions in South Africa.

NGOs and lawyers engaging in public research litigation will greatly benefit from this insightful book, as will scholars who are interested in methods of judicial lawmaking. This book will also be a vital resource for judges, students and political scientists alike.

Rob van Gestel, Professor of Theory and Methods of Regulation, Department of Private, Business & Labour Law (PBLL), Tilburg University, the Netherlands