The term is also used to refer collectively to the judges and magistrates who form the basis of a judiciary, as well as the other people who help keep the system running properly.
Separation of powers causes separate branches of government that each have a different purpose. The judiciary is the branch of government that interprets the law. Such systems may have three branches: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Often the judiciary branch has courts of first resort, appellate courts, and a supreme court or constitutional court. Decisions of the lower courts may be appealed to the higher.