The democratizing effects of transnational actors' access to international courts

How should we evaluate international courts in terms of their effect on democratic deficits in international law-making? This article takes an initial step toward understanding how ICs improve or weaken the presence of democratic values in international law-making, focusing on one aspect of international courts – access for transnational actors (TNAs). This article argues that TNA access to international courts provides institutional mechanisms for participation and transparency. As widely accepted democratic values, the participation and transparency advanced by TNA access has democratizing effects for international law-making.