司法权 (sī fǎ quán) — judicial power

Definition

A formal term for the 'judicial power' of the state — the authority of courts to interpret law and try cases. In the 三权分立 framework, it checks 立法权 and 行政权.

noun
judicial power

Examples

  • 司法权。
    Fǎ yuàn dú lì xíng shǐ sī fǎ quán.
    The court independently exercises judicial power.
  • 司法权。
    sī fǎ quán De xíng shǐ shòu dào xiàn fǎ yuē shù.
    The exercise of judicial power is constrained by the constitution.
  • ，司法权、。
    Sān quán fēn lì zhōng, sī fǎ quán yǔ lì fǎ quán, xíng zhèng quán xiāng hù zhì héng.
    In the separation of powers, judicial power checks and balances legislative and executive powers.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

司法administering law
司sīmanage法fǎlaw
动宾Verb + object
权quánpower

司法 (administering law) and 权 (power) combine for judicial power.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The evidence is inconclusive: one suggestion sees 司 as a mouth giving orders beside a mark of authority, another reads that mark as a hand, and another sees it as a reversed older form.

Open 司 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 權; 权 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn權quán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 權 shows 木, a tree, with 雚 giving the sound; it named a kind of tree and was used for a standard weight. The simplified 权 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 权 →

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