Legal Definitions - justiciary

The term justiciary can function as both an adjective and a noun, referring broadly to matters concerning the administration of justice and the law.

• As an adjective, justiciary describes anything that relates to the legal system, the courts, or the process of administering justice.
• As a noun, justiciary can refer to:
  • A judge or a person holding a judicial office.
  • Historically, a chief administrator who held significant power over both government and the legal system.
  • In Scots law, it specifically refers to the overall administration of justice, particularly in criminal matters.

Here are some examples to illustrate its use:

• Example 1 (Adjective): A special commission was established to conduct a justiciary review of the nation's immigration court procedures.

  Explanation: In this instance, "justiciary review" means the commission will examine the immigration court procedures specifically from the perspective of legal fairness, due process, and how justice is administered within that system.

• Example 2 (Noun - Judge): The senior justiciary presiding over the high-profile fraud case delivered a lengthy judgment detailing the court's findings.

  Explanation: Here, "justiciary" refers directly to the judge who is in charge of the trial and responsible for making legal decisions and issuing the court's ruling.

• Example 3 (Noun - Administration of Justice): Legal scholars debated whether the proposed reforms would genuinely enhance the efficiency and fairness of the country's criminal justiciary.

  Explanation: In this context, "criminal justiciary" refers to the entire system for administering criminal justice, including its courts, legal processes, and the overall framework through which criminal law is applied and enforced.