Erga Omnes

Here’s an excerpt from my short piece in Dissent, “Trials of Shame”:

It is a mistake to see Judge Garzón as the main target of the lawsuits.  His personal ordeal aside, the trial is a means of silencing those who’ve dared give voice to memories of political abuse and those who might pursue universal jurisdiction—the judge’s global trademark.  The suits threaten, credibly, to take down an internationally renowned judge.  That’s why foreign observers are on hand and Spain’s hard-fought democratic credentials are at stake.  

Read the full piece at Dissent.