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it acts as the final authority on the constitutionally of state and Federal Laws

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7y ago
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12y ago

It gives them the power to check the actions of the president and congress, if necessary.

In the U.S., each U.S. State has a State Supreme Court, and for the United States as a whole, the highest Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court of the United States can, by the U.S. Constitution, review any case or controversy, typically as to Constitutional issues, to settle uncertainties as to the law and further define the legal meaning of the U.S. Constitution.

However, the Court does usually defer to State Supreme Court decisions having adequate and independent State grounds. A State Supreme Court has to explicitly specify in a ruling it hands down that the ruling is based on adequate and independent State grounds, according to what in law constitutes adequate and independent State grounds. For instance, a State Constitutional ruling interpreting eminent domain law can be broader than the support set forth in Amendment V of the U.S. Constitution, but not narrower.

The State Supreme Courts don't just get to say "our decision is final and cannot be appealed for writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States because we say so." That is, adequate and independent State grounds do not exist where inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution and the Court's interpretation of it. Where State Constitutions mirror the U.S. Constitution, the State Constitution provisions cannot be interpreted more narrowly than how the U.S. Constitution provisions are interpreted, and then "justified" as having been done on "adequate and independent State grounds". Other State Constitutional provisions that are unconstitutional by the U.S. Constitution also will be struck down when brought to the Court as a constitutional "case or controversy". This derives from the theory of dual sovereigns in American federalism.

The Court's authority for this derives from U.S. Const., Art VI, Cl. 2:

"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding."

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8y ago

The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land in the United States. It creates a federal system of government in which power is shared between the federal government and the state governments. Due to federalism, both the federal government and each of the state governments have their own court systems. Discover the differences in structure, judicial selection, and cases heard in both systems.

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7y ago

The court is the final say in the system. They review the case, decide if they will hear it, and if a case has constitutional merits. They can kick the case back to a lower court, refuse it, or let it stand.

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13y ago

the function of the federal courts are to exercise only judicial powers and to preform only judicial work

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12y ago

To interpret and adjudicate violations of federal law.

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12y ago

To adjudicate civil and criminal cases with federal jurisdiction.

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7y ago

It decides if law is constitutional.

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Continue Learning about American Government

What part of the government interprets the laws?

The Judicial Branch, or the federal court system, interprets the law. The US Supreme Court, head of the Judicial Branch, is the ultimate authority on the interpretation of federal law and the constitutionality of any law.


Does the supreme court represent the state judicial branch or the federal judicial branch of government?

The Supreme court is one of the 3 branches of the UNITED STATES ,so It is obviously a federal branch of the government.


Is the US Supreme Court the same as the Judicial Branch?

The term "supreme court" is used in both the state and federal judicial systems. Every state has a state supreme court, or a differently named equivalent, which is the highest appellate court within the state system. State supreme courts are typically located in the state capital. In at least one state, New York, "supreme court" refers not to the highest court of appeals, but to the trial court in which cases are initially heard.Every state is also a part of the national federal court system and its federal regulations, starting from district, appellate, and finally, the U.S. Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in both federal and state systems for preserved questions of federal and constitutional law. The US Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over individual state laws or state constitutional issues.Generally, when people refer to "The Supreme Court," they mean the Supreme Court of the United States, or (colloquially) SCOTUS or US Supreme Court. When referring to a state supreme court, a person usually identifies the state first, as in Ohio Supreme Court, Alabama Supreme Court, etc.


Highest court in the United States?

The US Supreme court is the highest Federal court in the United States.


Highest court in the judicial branch?

The simple answer is "the Supreme Court," but that isn't entirely accurate.If the case involves federal law, then the United States Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority.If the case involves state law then the state's highest court is on "top." Usually this court is called the state supreme court, such as the California Supreme Court, but it might be called something else. Massachusetts calls its top court the Supreme Judicial Court, and New York calls its highest court the Court of Appeals. Interestingly, a supreme court in New York is an ordinary trial court.On a question purely of state law, not even the United States Supreme Court can go against the highest court of the state.

Related questions

Is the Supreme Court of Florida a federal court or state court?

The Supreme Court of Florida is the highest appellate court in the Florida state judicial system.


Is the Mississippi Supreme Court in the Judicial branch?

Yes, the Mississippi Supreme Court is in the Judicial branch of the Mississippi State government, part of the state court system. The US Supreme Court is head of the Judicial branch of the federal government, so they are part of two separate court systems.


What are 2 other courts that are part of federal judicial system?

State supreme court, court of military appeals.


What is the level of the judicial branch?

In the US, the highest court in the federal Judicial Branch is the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court is head of the Judicial Branch.


What was the judicial branch in charge of?

The Judicial Branch is in charge of the Article III (constitutional) court system, which are primarily courts of general jurisdiction over federal question cases, both civil and criminal. The US Supreme Court is head of the Judicial Branch of the Federal government; the Chief Justice of the United States (Supreme Court) leads the Court during his (or her) tenure. The United States has a dual justice system with a federal Judicial Branch and individual state judicial branches.


Who is in the judicial?

supreme court and other federal courts


How many court systems are beneath supreme court?

In the US, the entire federal judicial system is under the US Supreme Court. Each state and territory has an independent court system. Those systems are independent of the US Supreme Court, but are required to follow the Supreme Court.


What courts that are part of the Fedral judicial system?

The federal court system is comprised of the Supreme Court, circuit courts of appeal, and district courts. There are also specialized federal courts.


Does the bulk of the judicial work in the federal system take place in the Supreme Court?

depends on whos asking


What is the Federal Supreme Court?

Yes. The US Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the judiciary, and head of the Judicial branch of the United States.


What is judicial branch in charge of?

The Judicial Branch is in charge of the Article III (constitutional) court system, which are primarily courts of general jurisdiction over federal question cases, both civil and criminal. The US Supreme Court is head of the Judicial Branch of the Federal government; the Chief Justice of the United States (Supreme Court) leads the Court during his (or her) tenure. The United States has a dual justice system with a federal Judicial Branch and individual state judicial branches.


What part of the government interprets the laws?

The Judicial Branch, or the federal court system, interprets the law. The US Supreme Court, head of the Judicial Branch, is the ultimate authority on the interpretation of federal law and the constitutionality of any law.