It explains the legal basis of court systems, the qualifications and selection of judges, types of courts, court structures in the three countries, the role of judicial review, and the legal and other limitations on judicial power and effectiveness. The recent developments discussed include the ascension of four new justices to the United States Supreme Court, changes in the jurisdiction of the Federal courts in the United States, significant structural and organizational changes in all three court systems, and important developments in judicial review and the judicial role generally. The text emphasizes the judiciary's political, legal, and governmental roles and examines the nature of judicial activism and judicial restraint. Tables, figures, footnotes, subject index, name index, case index, chapter bibliographical notes, and appended lists of United States Supreme Court justices (Publisher summary modified)