Summary and Conclusions

This chapter summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the Amicus Curiae practice. The main advantages include promoting well-informed judicial decisions, allowing diverse parties to influence rulings on matters of public interest, low costs and financial risks for amici, fostering cooperation among interest groups, and supporting the courts’ institutional legitimacy. However, disadvantages also exist, such as the potential politicization of the judiciary, domination by powerful interest groups, amici’s lack of control over the legal process, courts being overburdened with unhelpful information, increased costs and delays, and the use of questionable research methods by some amici. The chapter concludes that while the Amicus Curiae practice offers significant benefits, courts must be mindful of its limitations and potential drawbacks to ensure that it serves its intended purpose of enhancing the quality and legitimacy of judicial decision-making.