SOSC 2350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Domestic Violence, Bertha Wilson, Learned Helplessness
27 Feb 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Independence means judges should not be influenced by other branches of government. Not there to please voters, but to enforce and interpret the law. No duty to appease political figure who advised their appointment. Cross-party appointments and elevations show commitment to independence. Example: ontario judge declared better local government act unconstitutional, premier ford snapped back that unelected judges should not have that power. However, the point is that they don"t have to appease the masses or woo voters. "will of the masses" does not equal "law" Means unpopular decisions can be made that don"t reflect opinion of the masses. Not only can judges make decisions independently, but the judiciary is largely self-governing. Example of judges judging judges: justice bernd zabel. Zabel had bet with colleagues about american election. When trump won, he wore a "make america great again" hat into his courtroom. 81 complaints were filed with the ontario judicial council.
