One of the problems of having a constitution is that it's so bloody difficult to change things. Gordon Brown is considering a constitutional overhaul that will give shed-loads of power back to parliament. One of the irritating things about the Westminster political system is that the prime minister, particularly if she has a big majority in parliament, has unfettered power. But one of the irritating things about constitutional system is that reform of the system is almost impossible.
So:
1. Judges are appointed according to their politics.
2. Judges are fired according to their politics.
3. Judges are over-ruled by politicians.
Perhaps it is time to stop the president from appointing and firing judges? Or commuting and pardoning?
It's so bloody difficult to get rid of presidents. Apparently Bush is unimpeachable because corruption of the justice system is entirely legal. Am I the only one who is confused?
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2 comments:
Umm... regarding #2 above, "Judges are fired according to their politics."
Wrong.
Federal judges, which are the only kind a President appoints, serve for life once their appointment is confirmed by the Senate. The only way a Federal judge can be removed from office is through impeachment proceedings, not at the whim of anyone in the Executive branch.
Perhaps you're conflating judges with US Attorneys, a number of whom were fired for political reasons recently. A US Attorney is not a judge; s/he is a Justice Deparment employee, essentially a federal prosecutor.
Ah, thank you ktesibios for explaining the labyrinthine processes of the American legal system!
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