was written to encourage americans to support the constitution, quotes the french fil philosophr montesquieu who said -- quote -- "there is no liberty if the power of judging not be separated from the legislative and executive powers." the judicial branch then is limited to the interpretation and application of law, law that exists, not law they create. at no point may its judges substitute their political or personal views for that of elected representatives or to the people themselves, the people's will having been permanently expressed in the constitution that created the judiciary. to gain a deeper understanding of this role, it's instructive to look further at hamilton's "federalist" number 78, widely regarded as one of the definitive documents on the american court system. in it, hamilton explains tha that -- quote -- "the interpretation of the law the proper and peculiar province of the courts. the constitution must be regarded by the judges as a fundamental law. it, therefore, belongs to them -- it, therefore, belongs to them to ascertain its meaning. judges do not grant rights or re