Building a bridge between reality and the constitution: The establishment and development of the Colombian Constitutional Court

The Colombian Constitutional Court has gained a high reputation around the world. In a country that is plagued by the war on drugs, violence, inequalities, and corruption, the court has managed to strengthen the rights of the displaced and homeless victims of these conflicts, women, workers, sick persons, and other underprivileged social groups. The trust of the citizens in the court therefore is high, which is reflected in the constantly growing number of constitutional complaints and judicial reviews. By proving its independence, the court has also earned the respect of politicians. However, the court took on this role only gradually, and had to learn from mistakes made at the beginning. This article presents not only the history and the most important achievements of the court from its founding to the present, but also addresses the challenges it faces.