Definition of Supreme Court Justice
A Supreme Court justice is one of nine judges on the United States Supreme Court. Their job is to interpret legal cases that pertain to the United States Constitution. There are nine Supreme Court justices of the United States.
Other People Are Reading
-
Establishment
-
The job of a Supreme Court Justice is established by the United States Constitution in Article 3, Section 1.
Appointment and Duration
-
Supreme Court justices are selected by the president and approved by the Senate. They hold their position for life, assuming "good behavior."
-
Jurisdiction
-
According to Article 3, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court holds original jurisdiction in all cases involving ambassadors and other issues in which the federal government is a party. Otherwise, the Supreme Court is an appellate court, meaning cases only come to them when they are under appeal.
Number
-
As of July 2010, the number of Supreme Court justices is currently set at nine. However, this number is not written out in the Constitution and can be changed through Congressional legislation.
Meeting Time
-
The Supreme Court begins hearing cases on the first Monday of October every year and hears around 5,000 cases (most of which are dismissed as being insufficient for the Court) until the beginning of June.
-
