- The case of Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
- William Marbury, appointed as a justice of the peace by President John Adams, sued Secretary of State James Madison to deliver his commission after Thomas Jefferson’s administration refused to finalize it.
- Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that while Marbury was entitled to his commission, the Supreme Court could not force Madison to deliver it because the law granting the Court jurisdiction over such cases (the Judiciary Act of 1789) violated the Constitution.
- By declaring part of the Judiciary Act unconstitutional, the Court asserted its authority to interpret the Constitution and invalidate laws that conflict with it, thereby establishing judicial review as a cornerstone of American government.
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