Judicial Review✔✔The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional
Jurisdiction✔✔The authority of a court to hear a case.
2 types
- Geographical
- Topical
precedent✔✔A decision made by a higher court that serves as a basis for deciding
similar cases
Common Law✔✔A legal system based on precedents, established by the courts
Unwritten
Civil Law✔✔A legal system based on a written code of laws
Four Principle of Law✔✔1.) Individuals and entities are accountable under the law
2.) The laws are clear, stable, and just, applied fairly, and protect fundamental rights.
3.) The process by which law is enacted and enforced is accessible and fair
4.) Justice is delivered in a fair and timely manner.
Vague Law✔✔a law that is so unclear that you cannot tell what is being prohibited
and what is being allowed
Discretion✔✔]the authority to determine the proper outcome
stare decisis✔✔Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from
previous cases
original jurisdiction✔✔The jurisdiction of courts that hear a case first, usually in a
trial. These are the courts that determine the facts about a case.
writ of certiorari✔✔An order by a higher court directing a lower court to send up a
case for review
textualist✔✔this is an approach to constitutional interpretation that says the
constitution's words should be takes at face value without trying to figure out the
drafters intentions
originalists✔✔Supreme Court justices who interpret the Constitution according to the
perceived intent of its framers
equity law✔✔Law created by judges to apply general principles of ethics and
fairness, rather than specific legal rules, to determine the proper remedy for legal
harm.