Judicial independence

Judicial interpretation
Forms
Constitutional review Judicial opinion In Catholic canon law In Islamic jurisprudence Kritarchy Statutory interpretation Judicial misconduct Activism Chilling effect Discretion Immunity Restraint Ultra vires
General rules of interpretation
Accountability Adversarial system Appeal Conflict of laws Forum shopping Jurisdictional arbitrage Lex loci Golden rule Inquisitorial system Interpretation Act Jury nullification Justiciability Letter and spirit of the law Mischief rule Nondelegation doctrine Plain meaning rule Polycentric law Precedent Reasonableness Rule according to higher law Separation of powers Judicial independence Parliamentary sovereignty
General theories of interpretation
Common good constitutionalism Court administration Judicial reform Jurisprudence Indeterminacy debate Legal realism Legal process Legal formalism Legitimacy Living Constitution / Living tree / Living instrument Opinio juris sive necessitatis Originalism (original meaning) Original intent (legislative intent, legislative history) Purposive approach Strict constructionism Textualism
International
Anarchy Hard law International litigation International legal theories Monism and dualism Peremptory norm Soft law Universal jurisdiction

Judicial independence is the concept that the judiciary should be independent from the other branches of government, meaning that courts should not be subject to improper influence from those branches or from private or partisan interests. Judicial independence is an important component of the separation of powers.

Different countries deal with the idea of judicial independence through different means of judicial selection, that is, choosing judges. One method seen as promoting judicial independence is by granting life tenure or long tenure for judges, as it would ideally free them to decide cases and make rulings according to the rule of law and judicial discretion, even if those decisions are politically unpopular or opposed by powerful interests. This concept can be traced back to 18th-century England.