Published by the Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law

August 2026 • Judicature International

Dear Friend,

As we continue to welcome new readers each month, we wanted to take a moment to reintroduce the Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School, which publishes Judicature International, and to share more about the priorities that shape our work.

At the Institute, we focus on three connected areas: judicial education, the study of the judiciary, and public education about courts. Together, these commitments reflect the simple but important premise that strong justice systems depend on judges who can learn from one another; institutions that are carefully examined and understood; and communities equipped to engage with courts and the rule of law.

Courts around the world operate in different legal traditions, political systems, and civic cultures. Yet, regardless of location, judges, court professionals, scholars, and communities confront many of the same questions: How can judicial systems support fair and effective decision-making? What safeguards judicial independence? And how can the public better understand the work courts do?

This month, we invite you to revisit four selections from the Judicature International archive that offer different entry points into these issues.

Thank you for reading and for joining the ongoing international conversation about courts, judging, and the rule of law.

— Michelle Kaminsky
Managing Editor, Judicature and Judicature International

AUGUST 2026 | FROM THE ARCHIVE

Perspectives on Courts and the Rule of Law

Four selections from the Judicature International archive

01 · COMPARATIVE JUDICIAL PRACTICE

Judiciaries Worldwide: A Resource on Comparative Judicial Practice
from January 2025

Developed by the Federal Judicial Center, Judiciaries Worldwide is an online resource that supports comparative learning among judges, lawyers, and students. Through practical overviews of judicial systems, court practices, procedure, and international institutions, it helps users build the context needed for meaningful dialogue across legal systems.

02 · JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

Judicial Selection and Judicial Independence
from February 2022

Judicial selection systems vary dramatically across jurisdictions, and those differences can have significant consequences for independence, public confidence, and the rule of law. In this conversation, Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake examines the relationship between judicial selection and judicial independence, drawing on examples from Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, and Kenya.

03 · CIVIC EDUCATION

Civic Education: Young People, Courts, and Civility
from April 2023

Popular portrayals of courts can shape public understanding — often without reflecting the realities of how court systems and judges work. U.S. district court judges Robin L. Rosenberg and Beth Bloom discuss their civic education program, Civil Discourse and Difficult Decisions, which brings high school students into courthouses to learn about the justice system and take part in conversations about civility.

04 · CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY

Designing Constitutions for a Lasting Democracy
from July 2022

Courts are part of a broader constitutional system, and that system’s strength depends on institutions that can withstand political pressure and change. This essay considers how constitutional design can help support durable democracy.

Global Judicial News:
August 2026

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