In an adversarial system, what is the judge's role?

• A. Act as an advocate for one side
• B. Decide the questions of fact only
• C. Remain neutral and decide questions of law
• D. Rule on procedural issues only

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the judge acts as a neutral referee who ensures fairness and applies the law. In an adversarial system, the parties present their evidence and arguments, while the judge remains impartial and makes legal determinations. The judge decides questions of law—how statutes and legal principles apply, what is admissible as evidence, and what instructions the jury should receive. The actual determination of what happened, the facts, is left to the jury (or to the judge in a bench trial). The judge does not advocate for either side, and they manage procedural issues as well. This combination—neutrality plus rulings on legal issues—best captures the judge’s role.