Courts and the Legislature

This course explores the nature and scope of the sovereign power vested in courts by the Florida Constitution and considers that power in the context of other, non-sovereign powers that can be given to the courts by the Legislature—including the latter’s authorization of “judicial review” regarding administrative action and quasi-judicial power. The course allows for discussion of how courts functioned historically and comparatively across different systems; consideration of the role of courts and judges in implementing policies and directives enacted by the Legislature; and examination of what the “law” is that courts are supposed to determine and apply in cases coming before them.