Should judges remain silent in the face of political encroachment and
trust in institutional safeguards? Or must they step outside the courtroom, resisting through
activism, media engagement, and transnational alliances? If they do, how can they resist
unprecedented interferences, political and public, in the independence of their decision-
making?

How should the judiciary respond to external pressure, lack of resources, executive overreach, and other hindrances? How can the judiciary retain its credibility and authority in the face of polarising social and political controversies which find their way into the courtroom? Courts Under Stress will explore these and other pressure points on today’s courts from an international perspective.