Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Session 11-An independent judiciary?

The judiciary is a state body that interprets law and has the power to settle legal disputes. The validity and reliability of judicial decisions depends on the premise that the judiciary is an independent body in the sense that its decisions are free of the influence of political actors and third parties. This principle is the main reason why judicial decisions uphold their legitimacy .Therefore, because of its impartiality the judicial system is said to provide a check and balance on the actions of the government. 
 The notion of an independent judiciary provides the basis for the division of power but in reality the judiciary seldom seems to be autonomous .It can be seen that judicial decisions are increasingly influenced by the motives of politicians as well as the government .Many times it can be seen that judicial appointments are done by executives themselves. This leads the judges to align with the policies of the respective governments and make decisions that are biased in their favor. These judges interpret law in the light of their bias. The power essentially becomes concentrated in the hands of a coalition who has similar interests. So the judicial system really impartial or does have an illusion of independence and is merely a tool of social control?

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