Related Directory Categories
- Discrete (50)
- Discrete (28)
- Diodes and Rectifiers (15)
- Transistors (2)
- Thyristors (2)
Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Discretion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Discretion is a noun in the English language.
The word has two main meanings:
1) a discreet or prudent manner (as in the proverb "discretion is the better part of valour")
2) the ability to act or make a decision according to one's own choice
Those in a position of power are most often able to exercise discretion as to how they will apply or exercise that power.
In the criminal justice system, police, prosecutors, judges, and the jury are often able to exercise a degree of discretion in deciding who will be subject to criminal penalties and how they will be punished. For example, the police officer may decide whom to formally charge with an offense. For a traffic violation, a police officer may simply issue a warning. A prosecutor may pursue different charges against the members of a group of suspects. Plea bargaining also plays a major role in determining charges.
The exercise of discretion by judges is an inherent aspect of judicial independence under the doctrine of the separation of powers. The standard of review applied to appeals from decisions involving the exercise of judicial discretion is "abuse of discretion."