MONDAY afternoon at the end of July, the cheerful atmosphere at the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission on Law meeting suddenly ceased. The room was plunged into darkness because of a power cut. What a time to pick because it was the last meeting on the proposed 2006 budget increase for the Supreme Court.

The power did not return. Fearing that time would be wasted, the July 25 meeting participants agreed to relocate to a building in the Nati