Why the Least Dangerous Branch Must Also Be the Most Independent
This grant-funded course is provided free to active judges.
199
Days & Times
11 a.m. PST/Noon MST/1 p.m. CST/2 p.m. EST
Course Location
Online
Course Fees
This grant-funded course is provided free to active judges.
$199
In a recent article entitled, “Why the Judiciary is No longer the Least Dangerous Branch,” the author claims that judges run amok are overriding the decisions of our elected officials. If he were around to respond, Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist Paper 78, might have said simply, “respectfully, sir, that was the plan.” From our founding, courts were viewed as safe – having neither the power of the purse nor the power of the sword – but to complement their benign nature, they were required to be separate for, in the words of Hamilton, “there is no liberty, if the power of judging, be not separated from the legislative and executive powers.” This session will give judges an opportunity to reflect upon the role of the courts, to discuss challenges to judicial independence, and to share methods for facing the challenges.
This grant-funded course is provided free to active judges.
This grant-funded course is provided free to active judges. $199
Scholarship assistance makes NJC courses more affordable for judges.
During this course, you will learn to:
- Reflect on the role of the courts at the time of the founding
- Compare the power, “danger,” and authority of the three branches of government
- Describe efforts to undermine courts’ authority, separateness, and independence
- Generate a list of legal, ethical, and practical guidelines for judges navigating threats to judicial independence
In a recent article entitled, “Why the Judiciary is No longer the Least Dangerous Branch,” the author claims that judges run amok are overriding the decisions of our elected officials. If he were around to respond, Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist Paper 78, might have said simply, “respectfully, sir, that was the plan.” From our founding, courts were viewed as safe – having neither the power of the purse nor the power of the sword – but to complement their benign nature, they were required to be separate for, in the words of Hamilton, “there is no liberty, if the power of judging, be not separated from the legislative and executive powers.” This session will give judges an opportunity to reflect upon the role of the courts, to discuss challenges to judicial independence, and to share methods for facing the challenges.
This grant-funded course is provided free to active judges.