What authority does the Judicial Branch have over the other branches?

Answer 1

The Judicial Branch of the government of the United States has no authority over any other branch of the government. An individual court can deal with any issue involving any person working for the federal government except for an activity done performing their job. Thus, if a congressman says something you do not like while he is on the floor of congress, he was doing his job. The courts have no authority. If you are in a restaurant and a congressman slanders you, that is slander and a court of law has authority. He was a private citizen. No judge can tell congress what it has to do. As far as the administration goes, the court can and does get involved in administrative procedures. In the case of Bush vs. Gore, the Supreme Court ruled that a Gore could not cherry pick which areas he wanted recounted. If there would be a recount, the whole state had to be recounted, and recounted the same way. People arguing about what procedures the administration would follow, go to a judge. The judicial branch can rule when a conflict exists concerning what policies administrators should use.