Opinion ID: 1109475
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: judicial and quasi-judicial power

Text: Article V, section 1, of the Florida Constitution, reads in pertinent part: The judicial power shall be vested in a supreme court, district courts of appeal, circuit courts and county courts. No other courts may be established by the state, any political subdivision or any municipality... . Commissions established by law, or administrative officers or bodies may be granted quasi-judicial power in matters connected with the functions of their offices. Thus, there is an implicit distinction between judicial power and quasi-judicial power. The issue here is how much, if any, of the jurisdiction granted to the Metropolitan Dade County Fair Housing and Employment Appeals Board's actions was proper for a quasi-judicial body. The union's attack in this area is two-pronged. It argues (A) that the board acted as a court in construing the ordinance to find that it covered the union's conduct, and (B) that in any event the board could not lawfully award the damages. We address the liability issue first.