Judicial intervention in politics ('judicialization') has increased dramatically in Europe in recent decades, mirroring earlier trends in the United States. This book examines the growing power of judges in the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal and the United States, and argues that three elements affect the political significance of judicial decisions: the status of judges, the organisation of the judicial system, and the broader political system. Currently very topical, particularly in Britain in the wake of the Human Rights Act, this subject will be of enduring interest for the foreseeable future.