CHECKS AND BALANCES JUDICIAL BRANCH By: Annie Zhang & Grace Newell

WHAT DOES THE JUDICIAL BRANCH DO?  The judicial branch is responsible for many things. It makes sure the laws are constitutional, or follow the constitution, and applies this knowledge of the constitution to each case, or accusation, it hears. The judicial branch can also declare legislative or executive acts unconstitutional. These are called Checks and Balances.

WHY IS THE JUDICIAL BRANCH IMPORTANT? The judicial branch is important because it helps our country maintain order. When someone is accused of a crime, they have a right to a trial by jury. This trial is done by the jury, which is a group of U.S. citizens who hear the case and decide whether or not the person is guilty. This jury is part of the judicial branch. If the person is found guilty, the judge will give them a sentence, or a punishment. Click the play button to watch a short clip explaining what the judicial branch does.

WHAT WOULD LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT THE JUDICIAL BRANCH ?  Without the judicial branch, our lives would be very different. People could accuse anyone of a crime and that person wouldn’t be able to have a trial, which is when a jury hears your case and decides whether or not the convict, or accused person, is guilty. If there was no judicial branch, people would either get sent to prison unjustly, or unfairly, or people could commit crimes and go unpunished.

WHAT ROLE DOES THE JUDICIAL BRANCH PLAY IN A CURRENT EVENT ?  Currently, the chinese government has banned many social networking sites because they do not want riots in the street over independence. They believe they can put a stop to this by blocking the social networking sites in which they plan their protests. This could not happen in the United States because of the judicial branch. One of the duties of the judicial branch is to make sure that all laws follow the constitution. If this law was passed in the United States it would be taking away the people’s right to freedom of speech, freedom of press, and their pursuit of happiness. These are all listed in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

WHY SHOULD WE BE GRATEFUL FOR THE JUDICIAL BRANCH?  Therefore, the judicial branch is important because it keeps everything fair and more or less checks on the other branches to make sure they do not gain too much power. Many countries do not have a judicial branch because their government is not balanced and concentrates all its power to one person or one group of people. Americans should be grateful for the judicial branch because without it, our country would be very different.