The
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary (informally
Senate Judiciary Committee) is a
standing committee of the
United States Senate, of the
United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 20 members, is in charge of conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on
confirmation of
federal judges (including
Supreme Court justices) nominated by the
president. In recent years, this role has made the committee increasingly a point of contention, with numerous
party-line votes and standoffs over which judges should be approved. The committee also has a broad
jurisdiction over matters relating to
federal criminal law, as well as human rights, immigration law, intellectual property rights, antitrust law, and Internet privacy. It is also Senate procedure that all proposed Constitutional Amendments pass through the Judiciary Committee.