Judicial review is the doctrine under which
legislative and
executive actions are subject to review by the
judiciary. A court with judicial review power may invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with a higher authority, such as the terms of a written
constitution. Judicial review is one of the
checks and balances in the
separation of powers: the power of the judiciary to supervise the legislative and executive branches when the latter exceed their authority. The doctrine varies between jurisdictions, so the procedure and scope of judicial review may differ between and within countries.