Courts Revisited

Recently, Judge Marion Warren, the Director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, addressed a civic group providing an overview of the North Carolina Court System and a preview of a much-anticipated report from the Chief Justices Commission on the Administration of Law & Justice (NCCALJ).  In his remarks, Judge Warren referred to the judicial branch as the “silent co-equal branch of government.”  Shortly thereafter, national issues shown a spotlight on the United States Constitution, the separation of powers, and the system of checks and balances the Founding Fathers wrote into the Constitution.

In the next few days, the NCCALJ will issue its final report after nearly two years of study, research, public meetings and forums in which the members of the Commission sought to thoroughly review and understand the judicial system of this state.  Though many citizens will remain oblivious to this report for any number of reasons, it is truly critical that the citizens of North Carolina take the time to review at least the executive summary of the report, if not read the full report.  More citizens directly encounter the judicial system in their day-to-day lives than encounter the other two branches of government.  While all three are critical to our system of government, the judicial branch is often misunderstood in terms of the fact it is designed to be the “non-political” branch and is tasked with reviewing the work of the other branches in terms of enforcing the rule of law and the tenets of both the state and federal constitution.

To find the full report upon its release and to review the work of the Commission to date, visit www.nccalj.org.