The judiciary plays several key political roles in the UK system of government. It acts to dispense justice fairly, interpret the laws as intended by Parliament, and establish legal precedents through case law. However, judges' ability to check the executive has come under increasing criticism from politicians, as judges have challenged government policies on issues like civil liberties, counter-terrorism laws, and sentencing guidelines. To increase the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, major reforms were passed in 2005 that replaced the Lord Chancellor and established new judicial appointment processes.