5.5: Law and the Courts
So far, we’ve explore legislatures (where laws are made) and executive branches (where laws are enforced). In this section, you’ll read about judiciaries, which is the branch of government responsible for interpreting laws. Pay close attention to the description of the term “judicial activism” and “judicial review.” While this section focuses primarily on the U.S. judicial system, consider the judicial systems of other countries while you read. How do you think judiciaries in non-democracies compare to the U.S. judicial system? Judiciaries, like legislatures, can either act to protect democracy or promote oppression.
According to this article, the judiciary “is the systems of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state.” While most judiciaries are responsible for interpreting and applying the law, the extent of judicial power varies from state to state. Do you think it is important for the judiciary to be a co-equal branch of government, along with the executive and legislature?