judicial branch

[joo-dish-uhl branch]

noun

1. the branch of government charged with the interpretation of laws and the administration of justice; the judiciary.

judicial branch

1. The court systems of local, state, and federal governments, responsible for interpreting the laws passed by the legislative branch and enforced by the executive branch. These courts try criminal cases (in which a law may have been violated) or civil cases (disputes between parties over rights or responsibilities). The courts attempt to resolve conflicts impartially in order to protect the individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution, within the bounds of justice, as defined by the entire body of U.S. law. Some courts try only original cases, whereas others act as courts of appeals. The ultimate court of appeals is the Supreme Court. On the federal level, the system of checks and balances empowers Congress to create federal courts, and all federal judges must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The courts may exercise the powers of judicial review and injunction.

Word History and Origins

Origin of judicial branch¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

“It is orders like these that underscore the audacity of the lower courts as well as the chaos within the judicial branch. We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” Fields said.

From Los Angeles Times

But seeing the ongoing erosion in the public’s trust in the judicial branch and the escalating threats her colleagues have received this year has pushed her to take her advocacy a step further, she said.

From Salon

You’d think the Supreme Court — in particular Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., the overseer of the judicial branch — would have the lower courts’ backs.

From Los Angeles Times

The narrow, fragile line of the judicial branch is holding, for now.

From Los Angeles Times

Every first-year law student knows that the judicial branch, not the executive, decides what the law is.

From Salon