{"product_id":"populism-and-courts","title":"Populism and Courts in an Age of Constitutional Impatience: Judges vs the People","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaphaël Girard\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781509987542\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hart Publishing\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescription\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: the rise of populism and its implications for courts and other legal institutions. It challenges the prevailing view in comparative constitutional law that courts can reliably act as bulwarks against authoritarian, self-aggrandising populists in power. Using the lens of spatiotemporality — the conjunction of space and time — the book analyses populism as a constitutional project marked by \"constitutional impatience\": a drive for temporal efficiency and spatial proximity that reshapes law's institutional and normative order.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffers a novel theoretical framework built around the concept of \"constitutional impatience\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a fresh, contextual inquiry beyond the usual focus on established Western democracies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExamines three case studies: Armenia, Ecuador and the United Kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrings insights from understudied jurisdictions at the periphery and in the Global South\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePart of the acclaimed Hart Studies in Constitutional Theory series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoverage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book focuses primarily on the judiciary as a key institution of liberal constitutional democracy. It offers a contextual analysis of populism's relationship with constitutionalism across Armenia, Ecuador and the United Kingdom, highlighting divergent tensions and impacts rather than uniform outcomes, and challenging assumptions about both the institutional role of courts and the nature of constitutionalism itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaphaël Girard is Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Exeter Law School, where he is also Director of the Graduate LLB Law programme. His research areas include constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and constitutional theory, with a particular focus on the intersection of populism, authoritarianism, constitutionalism and democracy. He holds a PhD in comparative constitutional law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIntroduction: Populism and Constitutional Impatience — Part I: A Theoretical Framework of Spatiotemporality — Part II: Case Studies (Armenia, Ecuador, United Kingdom) — Conclusion: Courts, Populism and the Limits of Constitutionalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy buy this book?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor law libraries and constitutional scholars, this is one of the first monographs to test the assumption that courts are automatic safeguards against populism, using rigorous comparative case studies from outside the usual Western canon. It is essential reading for anyone researching democratic backsliding, judicial independence or comparative constitutional theory.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeywords\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePopulism, constitutional impatience, comparative constitutional law, judicial independence, courts, democratic backsliding, spatiotemporality, Armenia, Ecuador, United Kingdom\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTarget Audience\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLegal academics, constitutional law scholars, judges, comparative law researchers, law libraries, public law practitioners\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenre\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstitutional Law, Comparative Law, Political Science, Law Books\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is \"constitutional impatience\"?\u003c\/strong\u003e It is Raphaël Girard's term for a populist drive toward temporal efficiency and spatial proximity that reshapes a country's institutional and normative legal order.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo courts always act as a check on populism?\u003c\/strong\u003e No. The book argues the relationship is complex and context-dependent, producing divergent outcomes rather than a uniform protective effect.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhich jurisdictions does the book examine?\u003c\/strong\u003e Armenia, Ecuador and the United Kingdom, offering perspectives from both established and understudied democracies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this book for?\u003c\/strong\u003e Constitutional law scholars, comparative law researchers, judges, law libraries and postgraduate law students.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere can I buy Populism and Courts in an Age of Constitutional Impatience?\u003c\/strong\u003e Directly from CLNZ Books at clnzbooks.com. Price includes worldwide courier shipping, and payment is accepted by credit card or PayPal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e📘 Learn more about shipping, delivery times, and returns, see our FAQ here\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/clnzbooks.com\/pages\/faq-frequently-asked-questions\" style=\"color:#8B0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplore more titles in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/clnzbooks.com\/collections\/law\" style=\"color:#1A3A5C;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLaw Collection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hart Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43764772175946,"sku":"9781509987542","price":278.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/7351\/5338\/files\/Populism_and_Courts_1a02f650-d9b4-4f3f-9c22-c72daeb20e04.png?v=1782906967","url":"https:\/\/clnzbooks.com\/products\/populism-and-courts","provider":"CLNZ Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}