Book Announcement - Valiant Judges, Iniquitous Law: Thirteen Stories of Heroes of the Law

Valiant Judges, Iniquitous Law: Thirteen Stories of Heroes of the Law 

This book by the Norwegian law professor Hans Petter Graver collects thirteen stories about judges who have stood up against the power of the state or public opinion to protect the rule of law. The situation encompasses witch-trials of the seventeenth century, racial fury of the deep south in the 1930’s of the United States, Nazi Germany, Israel during the Palestinian Intifada, and several more. The purpose is to inspire and to show that heroic resistance against evil or oppressive laws is possible, even from the judicial bench. Graver is one of Europe’s most renown scholars on how rulers seek judicial compliance with authoritarian measures, how judges react to such measures, and the conditions under which an independent judiciary breaks down. He has previously published works like Judges Against Justice: On Judges When the Rule of Law is Under Attack and edited the special edition of German Law Journal on Judges Under Stress. As authoritarian regimes currently threaten judicial independence in fragile democracies, this vital work unleashes critical awareness, conscience, and courage.

Available here.