THE URUGUAYAN SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE: BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL INSTITUTIONS (1985-2018)

In recent decades, the Uruguayan Supreme Court of Justice (scJ) has been at the center of the political scene and has increased the number of rulings declaring some important laws unconstitutional. As a first step to understand the role of this actor in the Uruguayan political system, the article analyzes the set's formal power, its informal institutions and the relationship between them. The main results indicate that scJ design has medium levels of autonomy, but a limited scope of authority to intervene decisively in politically significant disputes. This configuration is stable in comparison with the experiences of the countries of the region. As for informal institutions, the practice that guides the appointment of the Court justices reinforces the levels of autonomy, but the judges' conception about their role in the political system enhances their limitations in terms of authority. However, some signs of changes in the conception of the professional role of the judges are identified, which could be leading to an increase of the Court's authority in the political system.