What's Really Wrong with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Duquesne Law Review, Vol. 32, No. 3, 1994
Duquesne University School of Law Research Paper No. 2011-15
52 Pages Posted: 23 Sep 2011
Date Written: September 23, 2011
Abstract
In the midst of criminal indictment, allegations of judicial corruption, charges of nepotism and cronyism, and disputes over secret budgets, the question remains, aside from all that, how well does the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania do its job? The justice exercise their most important and independent authority in the area of institutional relations among the branches of Pennsylvania government. In this field, where their powers are greatest, the justices consistently overstep reasonable boundaries of their powers. Of course, critics always say that courts are too activist. The Pennsylvania situation is unique, however, because the justices are not acting to protect powerless minorities or fundamental rights, but instead, are maintaining and expanding their own influence and prerogatives. What is really wrong with the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the lack of a genuine sense of judicial restraint and modest institutional role.
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