In this chapter, you will learn about:
The Judicial Branch is one branch or part of the government.
The parts of the Judicial Branch are the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. This means that the Supreme Court’s decision about a law or legal case is final. The other federal courts are sometimes called lower federal courts.
When the Founders wrote the Constitution, they did not want the judges who serve on the Supreme Court and on other federal courts to make decisions about the law based on politics or elections. Judges who serve on the Supreme Court and other federal courts are sometimes called federal judges. The Founders wanted federal judges to make decisions based on the Constitution and the rule of law. This is why federal judges are not elected to office. The President nominates someone to become a federal judge on the Supreme Court or on a lower federal court. That person must also be approved by the U.S. Senate to become a federal judge.
The process for a person to become a federal judge is an example of the separation of powers of government because all three branches of government are involved. The separation of powers is important because it stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
One of the important roles of the Judicial Branch is to review laws. This means that they can decide if a law follows the Constitution. In the United States, the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. This means that everyone in the United States must follow the Constitution. This also means that the laws that Congress writes must also follow the Constitution. If someone in the United States thinks that a law does not follow the Constitution, that person can bring a legal case to a federal court to challenge the law.
Each of the courts in the Judicial Branch can only review a law if there is a legal case before it. This means that the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts can only make a decision about a law or a legal case when they have the legal authority to hear a case that is brought before the court.
The Supreme Court may review a decision about a law or legal case from a lower federal court. If the Supreme Court reviews a decision about a law or legal case, then they must make a decision. There are no other courts in the United States that can change the decision of the Supreme Court. This is one reason that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
Question
What is the role of the Judicial Branch in reviewing laws?
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There are nine justices on the Supreme Court 39 . The word “justice” is another word for “judge.” After the Supreme Court reviews a case, the justices meet to discuss the case and vote on the decision.
One justice on the Supreme Court is called the Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice has many duties. Some of the duties are:
The Chief Justice serves as a leader on the Supreme Court, but the justices make their own decisions when voting on each case. When a majority of the justices vote the same way on a case, they write a decision that explains their reasons.
To find the name of the current Chief Justice of the United States, please visit: https://supremecourt.gov/about/justices.aspx.
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