Related to judges, courts, or the administration of justice. Pertaining to the branch of government responsible for interpreting and applying laws.
From Latin iudicialis, from iudex meaning 'judge', literally 'one who speaks the law' (ius + dicere). The word entered English via Old French in the 14th century during the development of formal court systems.
The word preserves the ancient Roman concept of a judge as literally 'one who speaks justice' - the iudex was someone who 'said the law' aloud. This etymology reminds us that justice was originally an oral, spoken process before becoming written law.
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