Judiciary Branch Vocabulary

The lower federal courts, beneath the Supreme Court

• judical review

• Plaintiff

• Defendant

• inferior courts

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

• precedent

• inferior courts

• Marbury v. Madison

an individual or group being sued or charged with a crime

• Defendant

• Plaintiff

• inferior courts

Written by justices who voted with the majority, but want to explain their ruling on the case

• Majority opinion of the Supreme Court:

• Concurring opinion(s) of the Supreme Court:

• Minority Opinion (Dissenting Opinion)

written statement not supporting the opinion

• Majority opinion of the Supreme Court:

• Minority Opinion (Dissenting Opinion)

• Concurring opinion(s) of the Supreme Court:

a system of law concerned with the punishment of those who commit crimes.

• Civil Law

• Criminal Law

• civilian tribunal

A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights, generally involves money.

• Criminal Law

• Civil Law

• court-martial

A written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it

• writ of certiorari

• certificate

• brief

An interpretation of the U.S. constitution holding that the spirit of the times and the needs of the nation can legitimately influence judicial decisions (particularly decisions of the Supreme Court)

• judicial review

• judicial activism

• precedent

a court's calendar, showing the schedule of cases it is to hear

• court-martial

• Docket

• brief