The gloomy reaction to this month's two human rights rulings makes it difficult to remember the wave of optimism that seemed to flow through the courts after March's flag judgment.
Then, the top court's fearless and overtly independent ruling in favour of migrants, giving priority to the protection of rights, was still fresh in the memory.
That judgment, at the end of January, boosted confidence in the independence of the Judiciary and even appeared to inject new spirit into the judges.
In March, the Court of Appeal surprised many commentators by declaring the flag desecration laws to be unconstitutional.
Then, on the day before the National People's Congress Standing Committee reinterpreted abode laws in June, three major High Court decisions went against the Government.
The atmosphere then was in stark contrast to that which followed yesterday's ruling, which comes less than two weeks after the court reversed its earlier judgment on the right of abode.
