This book explores the foundations and evolution of the four Latin American and Caribbean regional economic courts. It argues that local socio-political factors are often the decisive factor in influencing the direction of these Courts, rather than the formally delegated functions they were assigned when established.

This book aims to evaluate the contribution of Latin America to the development of international law at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This contemporary approach to international adjudication includes the historical contribution of the region to the development of international law through the emergence of international jurisdictions, as well as the procedural and material contribution of the cases submitted by or against Latin American states to the ICJ to the development of international law. The project then conceives international jurisdictions from a multifunctional perspective, which encompasses the Court as both an instrument of the parties and an organ of a value-based international community. This shows how Latin American states have become increasingly committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and to the promotion of international law through adjudication. It culminates with an expansion of the traditional understanding of the function of the ICJ by Latin American states, including an analysis of existing challenges in the region. The book will be of interest to all those interested in international dispute resolution, including academic libraries, the judiciary, practitioners in international law, government institutions, academics, and students alike.

"Professional analysis of essential elements of judicial reform, as provided in any country-specific review by the World Bank. As political and economic development continue, greater attention needs to be given to judicial reform. Basic elements of judicial reform include: guaranteeing judicial independence through changes in judicial budgeting, judicial appointment, and disciplinary systems; adopting procedural reforms; enhancing public access to justice; incorporating gender issues in the reform process; and redefining/expanding legal education and training"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.

An innovative, interdisciplinary and far-reaching examination of the actual reality of international courts, International Court Authority challenges fundamental preconceptions about when, why, and how international courts become important and authoritative actors in national, regional, and international politics. A stellar group of scholars investigate the challenges that international courts face in transforming the formal legal authority conferred by states into an actual authority in fact that is respected by potential litigants, national actors, legal communities, and publics. Alter, Helfer, and Madsen provide a novel framework for conceptualizing international court authority that focuses on the reactions and practices of these key audiences. Eighteen scholars from the disciplines of law, political science and sociology apply this framework to study thirteen international courts operating in Africa, Latin America, and Europe, as well as on a global level. Together the contributors document and explore important and interesting variations in whether the audiences that interact with international courts around the world embrace or reject the rulings of these judicial institutions. Alter, Helfer, and Madsen's authority framework recognizes that international judges can and often do everything they 'should' do to ensure that their rulings possess the gravitas and stature that national courts enjoy. Yet even when imbued with these characteristics, the parties to the dispute, potential future litigants, and the broader set of actors that monitor and respond to the court's activities may fail to acknowledge the rulings as binding or take meaningful steps to modify their behaviour in response to them. For both specific judicial institutions, and more generally, the book documents and explains why most international courts possess de facto authority that is partial, variable, and highly dependent on a range of different audiences and contexts - and thus is highly fragile. An introduction situates the book's unique approach to conceptualizing international court authority within theoretical debates about the authority of global institutions. International Court Authority also includes critical reflections on the authority framework from legal theorists, international relations scholars, a philosopher, and an anthropologist. The book's conclusion questions a number of widely shared assumptions about how social and political contexts facilitate or undermine international courts in developing de facto authority and political power.

To what extent do courts in Latin America protect individual rights and limit governments? This volume answers these fundamental questions by bringing together today's leading scholars of judicial politics. Drawing on examples from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica and Bolivia, the authors demonstrate that there is widespread variation in the performance of Latin America's constitutional courts. In accounting for this variation, the contributors push forward ongoing debates about what motivates judges; whether institutions, partisan politics and public support shape inter-branch relations; and the importance of judicial attitudes and legal culture. The authors deploy a range of methods, including qualitative case studies, paired country comparisons, statistical analysis and game theory.

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of Latin American cases brought before the International Court of Justice, demonstrating state practices and litigation at the international level. It does so by providing summaries of all contentious cases submitted by or against Latin American states before the Court in order to illustrate case law, and is organized according to specific subjects to highlight the contribution of Latin American states to the peaceful settlement of disputes and to international law in general. Furthermore, the book is enhanced by informative tables and graphs detailing the participation of Latin American states and judges in cases presented before the International Court of Justice, and includes a general and specific bibliography devoted to all the cases evaluated. The chapters presented here fill existing gaps in the literature and will be of use to an international audience, including academic libraries, the judiciary (both national and international), practitioners of international law, government institutions, academics, and students alike. It will also be of interest to anyone investigating international dispute resolution, particularly Latin American academics and practitioners.

"Proceedings of a World Bank conference."--T.p.