PSC 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Constitution, Constitutional Council (France)
Document Summary
Indirect election representatives are chosen to elect a body: ex: france"s senate, germany"s bundesrat, heredity / appointment done by bloodline or chosen by elites, ex: uk"s house of lords (no real power now) Judicial branch the branch of government that maintains and upholds the rules of law. In democracies courts interpret applications of laws: criminal law suit against the state where someone judges the criminal complaint, civil suits suit against another person where someone rules on the civil complaint, courts have a hierarchy. If you lose in one court, you may appeal to a higher and more powerful court for a new ruling: 90% of democracies have a constitutional court, constitutional courts have judicial review. Judicial review the power to decide whether laws and policies violate the constitution: abstract review political leaders can refer questions to a court, often before laws are passed.
