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GOVT - Ch 14
The Judiciary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| judiciary | The courts; one of the three branches of government in the United States. |
| common law | The body of law developed from judicial decisions in English and US courts, not attributable to a legislature. |
| precedent | A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts and legal issues. |
| stare decisis | A common law doctrine under which judges normally are obligated to follow the precedents established by prior court decisions. |
| primary source of law | A source of law that establishes the law; primary sources include constitutions, statutes, administrative agency rules and regulations, and decisions rendered by the courts. |
| constitutional law | Law based on the US Constitution and other constitutions of the various states. |
| statutory law | The body of law enacted by legislatures. |
| administrative law | The body of law created by administrative agencies (rules, regulations, orders, decisions) in order to carry out their duties and responsibilities. |
| case law | The rules of law announced in court decisions; the aggregate of reported cases that interpret judicial precedents, statutes, regulations, and constitutional provisions. |
| civil law | The branch of law that spells out the duties that individuals in society owe to other persons or to their governments, excluding the duty not to commit crimes. |
| criminal law | The branch of law that defines and governs actions that constitute crimes; generally has to do with wrongful actions committed against society for which society demands redress. |
| jurisdiction | The authority of a court to hear and decide a particular case. |
| trial court | A court in which trials are held and testimony taken. |
| federal question | A question that pertains to the US Constitution, acts of Congress, or treaties; provides basis for federal court jurisdiction. |
| diversity of citizenship | A basis for federal court jurisdiction over a lawsuit that arises when (1) the parties in the lawsuit live in different states or when one of the parties is a foreign government or citizen, and (2) the amount in controversy is more than $75,000. |
| standing to sue | The requirement that an individual must have a sufficient stake in a controversy before he or she can bring a lawsuit; must demonstrate that he or she has either been harmed or threatened with harm.` |
| justiciable controversy | A controversy that is not hypothetical or academic but real and substantial; a requirement that must be satisfied before a court will hear a case. |
| appellate court | A court having appellate jurisdiction; normally doesn't hear evidence or testimony but reviews the transcript of the trial court's proceedings, other records relating to the case, and attorneys' arguments. |
| write of certiorari | An order from a higher court asking a lower court for the record of a case. |
| oral argument | A spoken argument presented to a judge in person by an attorney on behalf of her or his client. |
| conference | In the Supreme Court, a private meeting of the justices in which they present their arguments concerning a case under consideration. |
| opinion | A written statement by a court expressing the reasons for its decision in a case. |
| concurring opinion | A statement written by a judge or justice who agrees with the court's decision, but for reasons different from those in the majority opinion. |
| dissenting opinion | A statement written by a judge or justice who disagree with the majority opinion. |
| senatorial courtesy | |
| judiciary | The courts; one of the three branches of government in the United States. |
| common law | The body of law developed from judicial decisions in English and US courts, not attributable to a legislature. |
| precedent | A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts and legal issues. |
| stare decisis | A common law doctrine under which judges normally are obligated to follow the precedents established by prior court decisions. |
| primary source of law | A source of law that establishes the law; primary sources include constitutions, statutes, administrative agency rules and regulations, and decisions rendered by the courts. |
| constitutional law | Law based on the US Constitution and other constitutions of the various states. |
| statutory law | The body of law enacted by legislatures. |
| administrative law | The body of law created by administrative agencies (rules, regulations, orders, decisions) in order to carry out their duties and responsibilities. |
| case law | The rules of law announced in court decisions; the aggregate of reported cases that interpret judicial precedents, statutes, regulations, and constitutional provisions. |
| civil law | The branch of law that spells out the duties that individuals in society owe to other persons or to their governments, excluding the duty not to commit crimes. |
| criminal law | The branch of law that defines and governs actions that constitute crimes; generally has to do with wrongful actions committed against society for which society demands redress. |
| jurisdiction | The authority of a court to hear and decide a particular case. |
| trial court | A court in which trials are held and testimony taken. |
| federal question | A question that pertains to the US Constitution, acts of Congress, or treaties; provides basis for federal court jurisdiction. |
| diversity of citizenship | A basis for federal court jurisdiction over a lawsuit that arises when (1) the parties in the lawsuit live in different states or when one of the parties is a foreign government or citizen, and (2) the amount in controversy is more than $75,000. |
| standing to sue | The requirement that an individual must have a sufficient stake in a controversy before he or she can bring a lawsuit; must demonstrate that he or she has either been harmed or threatened with harm.` |
| justiciable controversy | A controversy that is not hypothetical or academic but real and substantial; a requirement that must be satisfied before a court will hear a case. |
| appellate court | A court having appellate jurisdiction; normally doesn't hear evidence or testimony but reviews the transcript of the trial court's proceedings, other records relating to the case, and attorneys' arguments. |
| write of certiorari | An order from a higher court asking a lower court for the record of a case. |
| oral argument | A spoken argument presented to a judge in person by an attorney on behalf of her or his client. |
| conference | In the Supreme Court, a private meeting of the justices in which they present their arguments concerning a case under consideration. |
| opinion | A written statement by a court expressing the reasons for its decision in a case. |
| concurring opinion | A statement written by a judge or justice who agrees with the court's decision, but for reasons different from those in the majority opinion. |
| dissenting opinion | A statement written by a judge or justice who disagree with the majority opinion. |
| senatorial courtesy | A practice that allows a senator of the president's party to veto the president's nominee to a federal court judgeship within the senator's state. |
| judicial review | The power of the courts to decide on the constitutionality of legislative enactments and of actions taken by the executive branch. |