In one story I remember reading that the judiciary had trouble makers planted in democracy protests to agitate trouble to cause the judges to intervene and lock people up.
In another story (the golden child?) a dying chief judge hand power to another judge with out there being any consultation with the citzens?
Dredd has evolved over the years however the stance on Democracy has not changed much.
Since 2117 reforms brought in by Chief Judge Volt mean that the Chief Judge is elected by the 400 Senior Judges so as to strengthen the office.
Democracy in Mega City One is seen as being undesirable by the Judges, largely because the populace are disinterested in the process. The 2113 referendum on Democracy, the culmination of the Democracy Storyline that ran on and off between 1986 and 1991, saw only a small minority of citizens vote at all, and those that did voted for the status quo.
There is an elected Mayor and Council, but generally these are token, although Mayor Ambrose was seen as a force for positive change.
As defined by Merrian-Webster, fascism is: "A political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition" or as "a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control"
Neither describe the Judge rule over Mega City One. There is no nationalism involved, there are no racial considerations involved, and there are no dictatorial leader -- the Chief Judge is fairly elected even if by a small portion.
