discretionary powers
Judgment-based official latitude
Discretionary powers are authorities granted to officials or institutions allowing them to make decisions based on their own judgment rather than fixed rules.
Courts, prosecutors, and administrators exercise discretionary powers when circumstances require flexibility: The judge has broad discretionary powers in sentencing.
The term appears most often in legal and governmental contexts, where it distinguishes decisions that can be appealed from those left entirely to an authority's judgment.
- regulatory oversightOfficial monitoring of compliance
- moral reasoningEvaluating right and wrong
- sentencing guidelinesRecommended ranges for court penalties
- judgment callDecision based on opinion
- final sayUltimate deciding authority
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discretionary powersenumerated powers
Authorities explicitly granted by constitution
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