Social Sciences and History / Unit 8 SSH 0718 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Why a Common-Law Judiciary Matters
Captions available
The idea
The framers prized an independent judiciary in a common-law system, where judges develop the law through case decisions largely built on precedent. They could not foresee the courts' role in interpreting the Constitution, shaping policy, and preserving and expanding individual rights.
In practice
Civil law: private rights and remedies; criminal law: harm and punishment.
Where people slip
Stare decisis: relying on past decisions.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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