Lesson 25: What Is the Role of the Supreme Court in the American Constitutional System?

Terms

advisory opinion  In some judicial systems, a formal opinion on a point of law given by a judge or court when requested by a legislature or government official.

appeal  The bringing of a court case from a lower court to a higher court in an attempt to have the lower court's decision reversed. Grounds for appeal include errors of law, fact, or procedure.

appellate jurisdiction  The legal authority of a court to hear appeals from a lower court.

jurisdiction  The power or authority to hear cases and make decisions.

landmark decision  A legal decision that constitutes a turning point or stage. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is an example of a landmark decision.

litigant  A party involved in a lawsuit.

methods of constitutional interpretation  Interpretive methods employed by U.S. Supreme Court justices when considering constitutional issues of some cases. See strict construction, original intent, fundamental principles, and instrumentalism

original jurisdiction  In some cases, such as those in which a state is a party, the Supreme Court has the right to consider the facts and the law in a case without it having first been passed on by a lower court.

writ of certiorari  A type of writ seeking judicial review of a legal decision.