Supreme Court of the Republic of Baltusia

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Baltusia was founded on February 9, 2861, by Baltusian President Robin Lindh. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the Republic of Baltusia and the highest court of appeal in the Baltusian legal system. The Supreme Court hears less than a hundred cases per year. Supreme Court cases are always either interpretation of the constitution or, more regularly, appeals from lower courts (state, local and appellate). The court's decisions are legally binding on all lower courts and jurisdictions. The Supreme Court bench is composed of seven justices, including the Chief Justice of Baltusia. The Supreme Court is housed in a large, postmodern building in Champion on the banks of the Shannon River.

Appointment Process[]

The Judiciary Act of 2860 helped formulate many of the Court's roles and responsibilities. Most Presidents nominate individuals who broadly share their ideological views. Because the Constitution does not set any qualifications for service as a Justice, the President may nominate anyone to serve. However, that person must receive the confirmation of the Parliament.

In modern times, the confirmation process has attracted considerable attention from special-interest groups, many of which lobby senators to confirm or to reject a nominee, depending on whether the nominee's track record aligns with the group's views. The Parliamentary Judiciary Committee conducts hearings, questioning nominees to determine their suitability. At the close of confirmation hearings, the Committee votes on whether the nomination should go to the full Parliament with a positive, negative or neutral report. A simple majority vote is required to confirm or to reject a nominee. Once the Committee reports out the nomination, the whole Senate considers it. The ability of a president to appoint new justices depends on the occurrence of a vacancy on the Court. The Constitution provides that justices "shall hold their offices during good behavior" (unless appointed during a Parliamentary recess). The term "good behavior" is well understood to mean Justices may serve for the remainder of their lives, although they can voluntarily resign or retire. A Justice can also be removed by Parliamentary impeachment and conviction.

Current membership[]

Below is a table of current Supreme Court Justices.

Name	Born	Appt. by	Committee vote	Confirmation vote	Age at appt.	First day	Political Stance
Susan Lila Cook (Chief Justice)	May 2, 2796	Robin Lindh	72-9 (89%)	682-68 (91%)	64	February 1, 2861	Moderate
Timothy Samuel Nygaard	July 25, 2817	Robin Lindh	68-13 (84%)	505-245 (67%)	43	February 1, 2861	Center-Right
Arthur Jackson Foley	September 14, 2811	Robin Lindh	47-34 (58%)	389-361 (52%)	49	February 1, 2861	Very Conservative
Dexter Hargrove Garza	June 10, 2802	Robin Lindh	60-21 (74%)	590-160 (79%)	58	February 1, 2861	Center-Left
Charles Lane Chase	November 18, 2821	Robin Lindh	44-37 (54%)	384-366 (51%)	39	February 1, 2861	Very Conservative
Erik Henry Borsari	February 26, 2807	Robin Lindh	75-6 (93%)	690-60 (92%)	53	February 1, 2861	Very Liberal
Seth David Barnett	December 7, 2823	Robin Lindh	63-18 (78%)	596-154 (79%)	37	February 1, 2861	Center-Left
Robert Frederick Masterson	January 20, 2791	Robin Lindh	70-11 (86%)	696-54 (93%)	70	February 1, 2861	Very Liberal
Barbara Rosemont Beach	January 2, 2793	Robin Lindh	69-12 (85%)	610-140 (81%)	68	February 1, 2861	Center-Right