Until mid-twentieth century, Continental European judiciaries were considered integral with the established order. Today, the situation has changed: the subordination of the judge to political majorities is declining. Judicial review of legislation has been introduced, and judicial independence strengthened. These institutional changes have supported the development of judicial activism. Organized judicial groups have emerged — especially in France, Italy, and Spain — advocating a progressive jurisprudence and developing policies aiming at defending minorities and marginalized groups. The judiciary, traditionally considered a conservative organization, now seems to be willing to carry out progressive policies. To assess the judiciary’s role in protecting marginalized groups in Continental Europe is not easy. The matter is extremely complex. There are not enough systematic data on judicial decisions, and there is even less on the extent to which these decisions are implemented or on the ways in which this implementation occurs. 1 However, until the middle of the twentieth century, judiciaries on the Continent were generally considered pillars of the established order; they would not have concerned themselves greatly with such groups. Today, the situation has changed. The subordination of the judge to the law — that is, to a parliament and, therefore, to political majorities — has been eroded. Judicial review of legislation has increasingly become a trait of European political systems, and judicial independence has been strengthened almost everywhere. In some countries, these institutional changes have supported the development of forms of judicial activism. In fact, in the last decades, organized groups have emerged within the judicial corps — especially in France, Italy, and Spain — that openly advocate some sort of progressive or radical jurisprudence and trying to develop policies with the aim of defending minorities and marginalized groups. A puzzling landscape — seems to be emerging in these countries: the judiciary — traditionally considered a corps where conservative,