"A court ruled. The executive ignored the ruling. The court ruled again." Three constitutional moments, in three jurisdictions, where the judiciary held — even when no one would enforce.
The Bureau commends, in 2025-2026, three constitutional courts that ruled against the political tide and then held the line when the executive declined to comply. In one case, the court found a deportation unconstitutional and was ignored; the court re-ruled, and was ignored again; the court then issued contempt proceedings, which are also pending. In a second, a court ordered the reinstatement of a regulator who had been fired without cause; the regulator was, eventually, reinstated, four months later. In a third, a court declined to certify an emergency declaration that had no factual basis; the emergency was withdrawn. The Bureau notes that, in each of these cases, the court did not "win." The Bureau notes that the court did, however, keep score. Score-keeping, in a constitutional democracy, is the precondition for winning eventually. The Bureau commends the score-keepers.
A ruling that is ignored is not a ruling that is wrong. A ruling that is ignored is a record. The record outlasts the executive. The Bureau notes that, in every democratic recovery on file, the recovery began with a record. The record begins with a court that refused to be silent. The Bureau commends, by behaviour, the courts that refused.