Judicial Independence

Essay # 49104

Law
Political Science > State and Local Politics

A discussion of the importance of the judiciary remaining independent and nonpartisan.

1,689 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2003 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how lawyers and politicians have a notorious reputation for their unethical characteristics and how politicizing the judiciary compromises the integrity of judges and the judicial system, in general. It examines the concept an independent judiciary, the status quo of obtaining a bench seat in California and on the federal level, the cons of the California system, and a plan for ensuring the independence of the judiciary in order to understand why change is needed in the current system.

From the Paper:

"The federal system for appointing judges differs from the state system. At the federal level judges are appointed by the president. Before they take the bench the senate must then approve the president's appointments. Federal judges are appointed for life, but federal judges can be removed from the bench by the process of impeachment if they are considered to be corrupt. By having these judges serve life terms they can make impartial decisions without fear of being voted off the bench in a retention election. This allows them to make judicial decisions by interrupting the letter of the law, rather than popular public opinion it allows the judiciary to remain independent from politics and current issues."