Prevention is better than cure: Rethinking court behaviour and design

Using a relational dynamics perspective, this commentary considers how to buttress courts' ability to practice their role as guardians of the constitution. It suggests that we should pay more attention to empowering the general public to provide meaningful social support for courts through constitutional literacy efforts. Such literacy efforts should focus on the place of the court within the separation of powers and the value of judicial independence. At the same time, it may be prudent to redact the list of tasks given to constitutional courts and divest responsibility for some activities to other institutions.