Final answer:
Congress created special courts as part of the federal court system, leveraging the authority given by the Constitution. Over time, several acts of Congress have established lower federal courts and specialized tribunals, each with jurisdiction over specific legal areas. This evolution has led to a detailed judiciary capable of addressing various legal matters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Creation of Special Courts
The special courts within the United States federal court system were created by Congress. In the Constitution, Section 8 Clause 9 granted Congress the right to establish a national judiciary. Originally, only the Supreme Court was explicitly established, with the understanding that Congress would have the authority to create additional courts as needed. Pursuant to this authority, Congress established the lower federal courts, including the 94 federal District Courts and 12 Circuit Courts of Appeals. Additionally, it created several specialized courts such as bankruptcy courts, immigration/naturalization courts, Court of International Trade, Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Tax Court, Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. These special courts handle more specialized jurisdictions pertinent to specific legal areas.
Over time, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was the first instance where Congress exercised this power, setting the groundwork for the current complex judiciary system that includes both constitutional and legislative courts. The federal court system has evolved over two centuries through various acts of Congress to better serve the ever-changing judicial needs of the nation. Instances such as the Judiciary Code of 1911 further centralized federal judicial authority in district courts. Altogether, these developments have allowed for a comprehensive system capable of addressing a wide range of legal matters, including those that deal with specific areas of the law, such as trade, federal claims, or bankruptcy.