noun / adjective

judiciary

joo-DISH-ee-er-ee/dʒuˈdɪʃieri/

A government's system of courts and judges that administer justice.

An independent judiciary protects people's rights and applies the law fairly.

A modern appellate court: three robed judges sit together behind a raised judicial bench, with a government-style seal above them and a lectern facing them.

Etymology

juLatinright, law

+dicLatinto say

+iaryLatinrelating to

The roots identify a judge as one who declares the law. Judiciary first described things relating to courts, then became a collective noun for judges—the body that administers a government's justice.

In context

The People Profiles43:42

The separation of powers between the judiciary and the executive is a key element of any modern democracy, one which ensures that the government of the day is still answerable to the law.

Benjamin Netanyahu - The Most Controversial Leader in Israeli History Documentary

More examples

The federal judiciary reviews challenges to the new law.
Budget cuts leave the state's judiciary struggling to handle cases.
The two countries organize their judiciaries differently.

Forms

judiciary · judiciaries

judicial adjective — Relating to courts, judges, or legal judgments.

Similar words

courts: Emphasizes judicial institutions rather than judges as a collective body.
bench: Refers collectively to judges rather than the entire court system.