29-10-2013, 09:04 AM
Political patronage/appointment is probably the worst of all systems, I think.
We had a similar sort of thing in the UK where High Court Judges, called puisne judges, were appointed by the Queen upon the advice of the prime minister and lord chancellor (a cabinet level politician in charge of the courts system).
However, in 2005 under reforms, appointment of pusine judges are now made by a non-political public body (the Judicial Appointments Commission) on "merit alone". This change was made to eradicate the whole concept of politically driven appointments.
I suppose it too early to make a judgement call whether this new system works better than the old political one, but I don't suppose it could be any worse. The true separation of powers is a reasonable safeguard, I think.
Judges previously were appointed for life and could only be removed if they showed mental incompetence -- something that doddery old men tend to lean towards sometimes. This has changed and nowadays judges can be removed for bringing the judiciary into disrepute.
We had a similar sort of thing in the UK where High Court Judges, called puisne judges, were appointed by the Queen upon the advice of the prime minister and lord chancellor (a cabinet level politician in charge of the courts system).
However, in 2005 under reforms, appointment of pusine judges are now made by a non-political public body (the Judicial Appointments Commission) on "merit alone". This change was made to eradicate the whole concept of politically driven appointments.
I suppose it too early to make a judgement call whether this new system works better than the old political one, but I don't suppose it could be any worse. The true separation of powers is a reasonable safeguard, I think.
Judges previously were appointed for life and could only be removed if they showed mental incompetence -- something that doddery old men tend to lean towards sometimes. This has changed and nowadays judges can be removed for bringing the judiciary into disrepute.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14