This chapter begins by tracing the strong links between traditional political history writing and identity politics, be it national identity, the identity of empires or religious identity. It then analyses the crisis of political history writing in the 1960s and 1970s. Finally it examines the remaking of the ‘new’ political history, highlighting (a) a stonger concern for popular politics, (b) a major emphasis on the languages of politics, (c) the desire to look for links between popular politics and popular religion and (d) the study of political transfers. Overall the new political history has done much to problematise the strong link between political history writing and identity formation.

The chapter draws insights from the institutional theoretic model to investigate the role of courts and other formal adjudicative institutions in promoting sustainable development. Its tripartite institutions framework emphasises the knowledge and communicative elements of sustainable development flowing from key social actors such as adjudicative institutions to other segments of society. Using environmental protection as a case study and making references to national laws and judicial decisions, the chapter demonstrates that adjudicative institutions can manifest a commitment to sustainable development, affirm applicable global standards influence other actors in, and segments of, society. It is argued that the regulatory role of adjudicative institutions includes constitutionalisation of sustainable development, empowerment of individuals and stakeholder groups and addressing vulnerability of victims while the normative role ensures the internalisation and transmission of sustainable development values. The cognitive role includes reshaping local practices by promoting effective glocalisation and appropriate corporate governance and social responsibility for sustainable development. While it shows adjudicative institutions as a key champion for sustainable development in the public and private spheres, the chapter proposes solutions to overcoming impediments to such as lack of explicit provisions, narrowly focusing on compensatory remedies, locus standi, forum non conveniens and choice of law.