Judicial hand that turns political tide

Constitution benches of the Supreme Court are set to take up issues of grave import

Two questions that trouble constitutional pundits in all democracies is the extent to which courts can make or break political fortunes and whether judges would remain neutral on high-voltage national issues. Commentators in the US and UK have debated these issues from their historical experience.

In the Indian context, the first question looks easy to answer. The debate on the 2G spectrum judgment by a special court is still simmering. What is beyond doubt is the disastrous impact of the trial on the Congress party in the 2014 general elections. Such misfortunes are not quite unfamiliar to the grand old