Final answer:
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings for confirmation of nominees, legislative oversight, and to gather information for shaping policy. Hearings can also become political battlegrounds, exemplified by the refusal to hold a hearing for Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination in 2016.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings for a variety of reasons. One significant purpose is to conduct confirmation hearings where senators have the opportunity to question nominees about issues pertinent to their states, to solicit commitments to provide information in the future, and to extract assurances on policy actions. Nominees, including cabinet officials, subcabinet officials, and federal judges, make pledges to be responsive and accountable to Congress to win confirmation.
Sometimes, hearings can delve into partisan displays, as seen in public spectacles like the House Select Committee on Benghazi or the confirmation hearings of Justice Kavanaugh. The committee's jurisdiction also includes conducting legislative oversight to ensure that an agency's actions align with its mission, which might involve inquiries into specific issues handled by the agency.
Additionally, committee hearings serve as critical platforms for legislators to understand better and shape policy through expert testimony from various stakeholders, such as government officials, industry lobbyists, public interest groups, and academics. However, mutual tensions between the legislative and executive branches can result in refusal to hold hearings, known as "malign neglect," to stymie certain nominations, as evidenced by the handling of Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination in 2016.