30- Second Politics: The 50 Most Thought-Provoking Theories in Politics, Each Explained in Half a Minute by Steven L Taylor

Author:Steven L Taylor [Taylor, Steven L]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781435133341
Amazon: 143513334X
Publisher: Metro Books
Published: 2011-10-14T22:00:00+00:00

JUDICIAL POWER

the 30-second politics

Judicial power is the authority to decide the guilt (or liability) of an alleged lawbreaker, as well as the punishment that will be applied if found responsible. For much of human history, judicial and executive powers were fused; a ruler who believed someone was guilty of a crime would also punish the offender. Over time, however, as societies became more populous, a separation of these powers emerged in practice, since kings and queens had more important things to do with their time than arbitrating the petty disputes of their subjects. In most countries, judges (either alone, or in conjunction with a jury) are responsible for interpreting the laws in force and applying them to the specific circumstances in question. Judges may also investigate crimes themselves, particularly in countries with laws based on the Napoleonic Code, such as France or Italy; in most English-speaking countries, investigations are typically the responsibility of the executive branch or another independent authority. Judicial power extends both to disputes between citizens (or between groups such as corporations) where the State serves as arbiter – issues of civil law – and to situations where a citizen or group is accused of an offence against the state – issues of criminal law.

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