Judicial Branch Key Terms

Any act that breaks the law and has a punishment that has been established

• misconduct
• crime
• violation
• offense

Body of law that regulates the conduct of individuals as members of the state

• International law
• Criminal law
• Civil law

• Public law

Customary law that develops from judges' decisions and is followed in situations not covered by statutory laws

• constitutional law
• common law
• civil law
• criminal law

Body of law that governs relationships among individuals and that defines peoples' legal rights

• Civil law
• Family law
• Contract law
• Criminal law

Law based on the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court decisions

• Criminal law

• Executive law
• Constitutional law
• Common law

An earlier court decision that guides judges' decisions in later cases

• precedent
• judgment
• verdict
• ruling

The right of a convicted person to ask a higher court to review his or her case

• retrial
• overturn
• appeal
• remand

The authority to interpret and administer the law; also the range of that authority

• Enforcement
• Adjudication
• Jurisdiction
• Legislation

Lower federal courts that have original jurisdiction in most cases involving federal law

• District Courts
• Appellate Courts
• Supreme Courts
• Circuit Courts

Federal courts that review decisions appealed from district courts

• supreme courts
• district courts

• state courts
• courts of appeals