Why an Independent Judiciary Remains Vital to Democracy
Columnist Tom Campbell argues judicial independence is a rare and essential safeguard that democracies cannot afford to lose.
Judicial independence stands as one of the most consequential and least celebrated pillars of American democracy, according to a new opinion piece by Tom Campbell published in the LA Daily News. Campbell argues that the ability of courts to rule free from political pressure is not a given — it is a hard-won institutional feature that can erode when left undefended.
The piece arrives at a moment when courts at every level face heightened scrutiny, public criticism from elected officials, and mounting pressure to deliver politically favorable outcomes. Campbell frames judicial independence not as a partisan issue but as a structural necessity — the mechanism that allows citizens of any political stripe to trust that legal disputes will be resolved on their merits rather than on the preferences of whoever holds power.
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Campbell, a former California state senator and law professor, brings both legislative and academic credibility to the argument. His core claim is that an independent judiciary is rare in global terms — many nations lack it entirely — and that Americans risk taking it for granted precisely because it has functioned reliably for so long. Complacency, he suggests, is the most immediate threat.
The opinion also implicitly challenges readers to consider what checks remain if judicial independence is compromised. Without courts willing and able to rule against the government, civil liberties protections and minority rights become dependent on the goodwill of majorities — a fragile substitute for enforceable law. Campbell's framing positions the judiciary not as an obstacle to governance but as its essential counterweight.
The full column offers Campbell's extended analysis of how this institutional independence is maintained and why civic engagement in its defense matters now more than ever. Continue reading at headtopics (ladailynews).
