Marbury v. Madison Case Study video

Marbury v. Madison

• William Marbury was appointed a judge by President John Adams, but didn't receive his commission before Adams left office.
• Thomas Jefferson became president, and his Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver Marbury's commission.
• Marbury sued Madison in the Supreme Court, requesting a writ of mandamus to compel Madison to deliver the commission.
• This case raised the critical constitutional question of whether the Supreme Court could review and overturn acts of Congress.
• The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, a power that permits the judiciary to deem laws unconstitutional.
• The case centered on interpreting Article 3 of the Constitution, defining the structure and powers of the judicial branch.
• The Judiciary Act of 1789 granted the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in certain cases, including the issuance of writs of mandamus.
• Chief Justice John Marshall argued the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional, exceeding the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction outlined in Article 3.
• Marshall declared the Judiciary Act of 1789 invalid.
• The ruling acknowledged judicial review, a concept previously discussed by Alexander Hamilton in The Federalist Papers, as a pivotal part of the American system of checks and balances.
• This case cemented the Supreme Court's power to determine the constitutionality of laws, significantly influencing the interpretation and application of the Constitution throughout U.S. history.