PERSPECTIVE III - The Judicial

The Judicial Branch of VoD is obviously my favourite branch of Government. The judiciary is composed of the Lower Courts and the Supreme Court. The Lower Courts handle all initial criminal and civil matters, with Judges making verdicts that set persuasive precedent (this precedent isn’t legally binding and is simply a reference tool). The Supreme Court is an appellate and interpretative court that conducts appeals of Lower Court rulings and Judicial Reviews. It is composed of four regular Justices, who may preside over appeals and JRs, author judgements, and vote on all Supreme Court matters, and one Chief Justice, who decides which cases are taken and signs off on judgements. 

Whilst every member of the Judiciary does their fair share of work, the most obvious representation of the Judiciary is Chief Justice Hackerman. The interview I conducted with Hackerman will be outlined below, along with Muggy’s comments on the responses.

1. How do you feel about your time as Chief Justice so far?

• “Generally good, but my recent inactivity in VoD plus the emergence of a more active VoD justice system has led me to not do as much as before”
  
  It’s interesting to see how Hackerman admits (relatively) lackluster activity, signifying that the Chief Justice can accept a possible flaw, but recognize the efficiency of the wider judicial system on VoD.

2. What do you think of the state of the Judiciary as a whole? Are there any major improvements you think could be made?

• “I think the judiciary will improve as a byproduct of greater engagement with the legal system as a whole.”
  
  While not having any specific suggestions of his own, accepting the engagement within the greater legal system of VoD playing a role in the development of the judiciary shows greater understanding than one might think. A short answer but a good one once you dissect it. 

3. What do you think of the increased workload the Judiciary has faced this year? And how have you coped with it?

• “Around the TIDE/doxxing saga, VoD was in a bit of a slump for a while, but with new people arriving, so too have more court cases. I think as a whole the Judiciary has dealt with it well, although the main credit should probably go to Justice Tobias and Judge Bete, thanks to their activity.”
  
  It’s good to see a Chief Justice know how greater events in VoD have influenced the judiciary. As more people join and interact with the legal system, more court cases are bound to arise. This answer seems to tie into Hacker’s earlier statement of engagement within the greater legal system influencing the growth and development of the judiciary. 

4. What is your favorite case you’ve worked on in your time as SCJ/Judge? 

• “Patriot Act.”
  
  Dissecting the constitutionality of part 3, section 2 of the Patriot Act has led to the greater precedent that the executive does not have the authority to enforce violations of the basic rules. Leaving it to the President/Moderative (come back for PERSPECTIVE IV for more on that) has generally stuck for cases of violations of the basic rules on VoD. Good job I suppose, Chief Justice.

5. Why was that your favourite case?

• “Clarified separation of powers.”
  
  Per my previous comments, this precedent has stuck on VoD and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. It is vital for any political simulation to establish clear lines that branches of government shouldn’t cross. Sometimes to the dismay of efficiency, but often in the best interest of responsible government.

6. Are there any judgements you have regretted (Strictly for legal reasons, not public backlash)? If so, which ones and why?

• “Not yet.”
  
  It seems that our Chief Justice doesn’t have many regrets in terms of his tenure. May that be a good or bad thing? That’s in the court of public opinion.

Our Chief Justice is a man of few words and little regrets. At the very least his judgments are occasionally lengthy.

I asked Hacker a sixth question, however, as with Noll’s and Griffey’s responses, I will be saving the answer to that question for PERSPECTIVE V.