The enemies of South African democracy have the judiciary in their sights

THERE ARE few more poignant locations for a country’s supreme judicial body than that of South Africa’s Constitutional Court, in central Johannesburg. The building lies within the walls of the Old Fort prison complex where, during the colonial era and under apartheid, black inmates were given less food, fewer blankets and more abuse than white ones. Many who struggled against white rule were held there, including Mahatma Gandhi, Archbishop (briefly), Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela. The last three all won the Nobel peace prize; not many countries can boast more individual laureates than the Old Fort complex can.South Africa’s courts have generally honoured their legacy. The constitution, a blend of liberal ideas such as the separation of powers, and progressive rights to social services, has shielded the country from the worst excesses of power. Yet as President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to appoint a new Chief Justice, the judiciary is under unprecedented attack from the enemies of constitutional democracy.