The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch, written by Margot Oliver. Focus question. What is the Judicial Branch responsible for, and how does it protect citizens of the United States?

《司法部门》，作者玛戈·奥利弗。 重点问题。 司法部门负责哪些工作， 它又是如何保护美国公民的？

Ruled by laws. Americans do not bow down to a king or queen. A single leader does not tell us what we can say or do. We are ruled by laws. These laws protect us and help make sure everyone is treated fairly.

法律至上。 美国人不需要向国王或女王低头。 没有哪个独裁者能规定我们说什么做什么。 我们受法律约束。 这些法律保护我们，确保每个人都能得到公平对待。

People do not always follow laws or agree about what is fair. We have courts of law to punish those who break laws and to settle disagreements. The judicial branch is one part of the United States government. It watches over our country's courts and legal system. It also protects our rights.

人们并不总是遵守法律，也会对公平的定义有分歧。 我们有法院来惩罚违法者，解决纠纷。 司法部门是美国政府的组成部分之一。 它负责监管美国的法院和法律体系。 它也保护我们的各项权利。

the Constitution, and the Judicial Branch. In 1788, American leaders adopted the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution was a system of laws to help run the new country. This system has changed over time, but it is still used today.

宪法与司法部门。 1788年，美国领导人通过了《美利坚合众国宪法》。 宪法是一套法律体系，用来治理这个新生的国家。 这套体系随着时间推移有所调整，但至今仍在沿用。

The Constitution splits the U .S. government into three branches or parts. The Executive branch is led by the President. It handles most government business and departments. The Legislative branch is made up of the U .S. Senate and House of Representatives. It makes laws and stands for U .S. citizens in the government. The Judicial branch watches over U .S. courts and the legal system.

宪法将美国政府分为三个分支或部分。 行政分支由总统领导。 它负责处理大多数政府事务、管理各个政府部门。 立法分支由美国参议院和众议院组成。 它负责制定法律，在政府中代表美国公民的利益。 司法分支负责监管美国的法院和法律体系。

Sometimes the different branches work together. At other times, they work against each other. One part of the Constitution talks about the judicial branch and how it is set up. The country's courts handle federal laws that get broken. They also help decide whether new laws follow the ideas in the Constitution. However, people sometimes disagree about what the Constitution means and what it allows.

有时不同的分支会相互合作。 有时它们也会相互制衡。 宪法中有一部分内容阐述了司法分支以及它的组建方式。 美国法院处理违反联邦法律的案件。 它们也负责判定新法律是否符合宪法的精神。 不过，人们有时会对宪法的含义以及它允许的内容有分歧。