Constitutions and courts

a document or a set of documents that outlines the powers, institutions, and structure of government, as well as expressing the rights of citizens and the limits on government.

the principle that societies are best governed using clear, stable, and just laws to which all residents are equally subject regardless of their status or background.

seeks popular support for the document with a stirring declaration of principles and, sometimes, a definition of the state’s purposes

sets out the powers and structure of government institutions

covers individual and, often, group rights, including access to legal redress

outlines the procedure for revising the constitution

one that is set out in a single self-contained document

one that is spread among several documents. (UK, SA)

a collective term for the judges within the system of courts that interpret and apply the law in keeping with the constitution

the power of courts to nullify any laws or actions proposed or taken by government officials that contravene the constitution

the question of the legal procedures for amending a constitution

one that can be amended more easily, often in the same way that ordinary legislation is passed

one that is entrenched, requiring more demanding amendment procedures

judgments made on the constitutional validity of law in the context of a specific case.

advice given by a court on the constitutionality of a law or public policy

the power of a court to review cases that originate with the court itself. (USA)

the power of a court to review decisions reached by lower courts

the view that judges should apply the letter of the law, leaving politics to elected bodies

the willingness of judges to venture beyond narrow legal reasoning to influence public policy

judicial rulings on matters not explicitly treated in legislation, based on precedents created by decisions in specific cases

laws enacted by a legislature

judicial rulings founded on written legal codes which seek to provide a single overarching framework for the conduct of public affairs