Title: Judicial Branch | Encyclopedia.com
Headings: Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch
Lower Courts

Content: Judicial Branch | Encyclopedia.com
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Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch
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Judicial Branch
The U.S. Constitution divides the federal government into three branches. The judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court , decides cases under the nation's laws. The other two branches are the legislative branch , called Congress, and the executive branch , headed by the president of the United States. Most of the Constitution's provisions concerning the judicial branch appear in Article III, which begins, “The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” The Constitution does not list any qualifications that a person must meet in order to be a judge. Judicial power is the power to decide cases that arise under the U.S. Constitution, federal laws, and treaties with foreign nations. It also covers other kinds of cases, such as those affecting ambassadors, public ministers, and consuls; cases involving the seas; cases in which the United States is a party; and cases between different states or between citizens of different states.