THE INTERNATIONAL ADJUDICATION OF MEGA-POLITICS

International Courts (ICs) are increasingly called upon to rule on social and political issues that divide and polarize politics or pitch significant groups within societies against one another. Adjudicating such highly divisive issues puts ICs and their authority to the test. Yet, we have little systematic knowledge on the consequences of ICs’ involvement in such cases. What happens to the courts themselves in the aftermath of such cases? What happens to the legal issues involved? What are the consequences for the dispute itself and the polity more generally?