JUDICIAL BRANCH 

The judicial branch in Athyla is one of the three main branches outlined within the Federal Papers, tasked with the administration of justice and the maintenance of the rule of law. The judicial branch contains the Supreme Court, circuit courts of appeals, and a variety of regional courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the alnd, and is comprised of twelve justices, who are responsible for interpreting the Federal Papers and laws of the nation. They are also responsible for resolving disputes that arise between select individuals and organizations, though this case tends to be rare.

The Supreme Court hears a wide range of cases, including civil and criminal matters, though majority of its cases relate to the interpretation of the Federal Papers and as such, federal laws. Cases typically reach the Supreme Court through an appeals process, after being heard and decided by lower courts.

The chief justice is the head of the Supreme Court and is responsible for overseeing the workings of the court to ensure that its decisions are made in a fair and impartial manner. The chief justice presides over oral arguments and has the power to assign opinions to the other justices.

The other justices play a critical role in the decision-making process of the court. They participate in oral arguments, deliberate with one another, and vote on the outcome of cases. The decisions of the court are reached through a majority vote, and opinions of the justices are written and published to give guidance to lower courts and the general public.

In addition to resolving disputes, the judicial branch also plays an important role in keeping the legislative and executive branches in check. The court has the power of judicial review, which allows it to declare laws and actions of the legislative and executive branches unconstitutional if they conflict with the Federal Papers. This ensures that the other branches of government remain accountable to the Federal Papers and the rule of law. In addition, the court is also responsible for hearing the trials in the case of impeachment and are responsible for the final vote in the process of impeachment. 

Athyla is split into 36 circuits which serve as regional divisions to make it easier for the court system to handle. 

Each circuit has its own court of appeals, which is responsible for hearing appeals from lower federal courts and state courts within its jurisdiction. The court of appeals will hear arguments from both sides and make a decision based on the interpretation of the law. If one of the parties is not satisfied with the decision, they may choose to appeal to the Supreme Court. 

The method by which judges are appointed to the Supreme Court begins with a rigorous examination. It is a civil service examination exclusively offered to judges within any operating Athylian court, with each judge having at least eight years of service under their belt. Once they have completed the examination, a committee known as the Judicial Nomination Commission is tasked with selecting a single judge from the top 1% of examination scores. This commission consists of nine individuals, each of whom comes from prestigious institutions and establishments, and all of them are experts in law and order, government, etc. The commission will have six months to narrow down the top 1% of examination takers, reviewing each individual before coming to a final consensus. In order for the judge to be sworn in, the entire committee must unanimously agree to select said individual. If a unanimous decision cannot be reached, a second Judicial Nomination Commission will be brought in to review the individuals. If by then a unanimous decision still cannot be made, the Atvan will hold a vote, with the number of individuals needing to be narrowed down to at most five. To date, the Atvan has yet to vote in any judges, as only two judges have ever been sworn in by a second Judicial Nomination Commission.

To finally finish it off, every judge of the Supreme Court, starting from the day they are sworn in, will be placed in a popular referendum every ten years, allowing for the people of Athyla to evaluate the performance of Supreme Court justices and determine whether they should be retained in their positions for another term.