Lawfare: When Legal Systems Are Turned Into Weapons
How governments and power players increasingly use courts and laws to suppress dissent and eliminate opposition
“Lawfare”, the strategic misuse of legal systems to punish, discredit, or neutralize opponents, is the new face of authoritarianism. It’s clean. It’s technical. And most dangerously, it wears the cloak of legitimacy.
In India and abroad, we’ve witnessed this pattern:
- Dissenting activists charged under anti-terror laws.
- Political opponents targeted by relentless legal proceedings.
- Journalists are booked for sedition or national security violations for merely reporting the truth.
These aren’t isolated cases. They are part of a global trend where law is no longer a shield, but a sword in the hands of power.
The courtroom becomes a battleground, not for justice, but for control.
Lawfare thrives in systems where judicial independence is weak, media trials are encouraged, and public memory is short. It erodes not just trust in law, but the very idea of fair governance.
To fight lawfare, we must do more than write strong judgments. We must build a culture that respects rights more than it fears resistance.
📘 Subscribe if you're ready to challenge the misuse of legal frameworks.
💡 Share this with someone who needs to understand the subtle shift from the rule of law to rule by law.
💬 Have you seen “lawfare” at work? Let’s hear your view.
#JusticeWithAngana #Lawfare #RuleOfLaw #LegalSuppression #HumanRights #LegalSystems #WomenInLaw #MondayReflection
