It's all about the court(s) : general remarks on the american idea of judical impact on the scope of civil rights

Different legal systems provide different concepts of civil rights protection. In most countries the law is created by the legislative and is enforced by the executive, making the two powers dominating actors in the process of shaping the scope of the rights of the people. From time to time, such regulations are found unconstitutional by special Courts (Tribunals), which adapt them to constitutional reality. However, in common law countries, and especially in the United States of America, the concept of power of the legislative over civil rights is undermined by active judicial review undertaken by federal courts with the Supreme Court at the top. The lawmaking ability of the judges, their position within the branches of government, as well as the power of judicial review, leads to the dominating position of court-shaped principles and regulations over various social and political issues. Civil rights cases belong today to the most valuable legacy of the Supreme Court, in which precedents have enormous impact on the scope of protection of constitutional rights and freedoms.