Question

1)Define what fairness and justice mean in your own words. (Note: Look them up but explain the concepts in your own words. Do not just repeat the definition.)

2)Are courts important in a democracy and how do they impact individuals? (ie. Is the court important in our lives and how?)
3)Explain any concerns you have about "fairness" and "justice" in the state court system. Do you trust state or federal courts more and why or why not? Do you trust judges?
4)Does community and public perception really matter when it comes to the judiciary?
5)Why should judges care what the public thinks?
6)How can public perception of the courts be improved and/or what would a well-functioning court system look like?

Answer 1

1. Justice is one of those fundamental concepts about which debate appears limitless. Historically it has been a contested idea from the time of Aristotle.Fairness is the quality of making judgments that are free from discrimination. Judges, umpires, and teachers should all strive to practice fairness.
2. An independent judiciary is important for preserving the rule of law and is, therefore, most important facet of good governance. The judicial system has an important role to play ultimately in ensuring better public governence.
3. Public trust and confidence in our government institutions is critical to the functioning of our democratic republic. While members of the public are directly involved in electing the executive and legislative branches, the judicial branch is somewhat removed from direct public engagement. By design, the public has no direct role building out and maintaining the ranks of the federal judiciary. And while there are many states that do have some form of judicial elections (for better or worse), being further down the ballot means these races generally garner less public engagement than do other local positions.