(a) That's wrong. In Australia, judges are not democratically elected. They are chosen by the government of the day. The result is that political considerations may well influence the choice of judges - conservative governments tend to pick conservative judges, while reformist governments tend to pick reformist judges.

Obviously it is important that, once appointed, judges are free from political interference. This is achieved by protecting them from the threat of dismissal. Judges can only be removed from office in very special circumstances, by following specified procedures. Furthermore, their pay cannot be reduced while they hold office, which otherwise might be a way of influencing them.