Expert Analysis

When officials ignore the courts, the rule of law is at stake

By Lorne Waldman ( November 11, 2026, 2:14 PM EST) -- The rule of law rests on a simple bargain. Parliament makes the law, the executive carries it out, and the courts say what the law means. Each branch has to respect the role of the others. When officials charged with enforcing a statute decide they are not bound by the courts’ interpretation of it, the bargain breaks down....