Marbury v. Madison

Q: What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison?

The case Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review in the United States, meaning that the Supreme Court could now strike down any law it deemed to be unconstitutional. It also established the US Constitution as a legal - and now just a political - document.

Q: Who decided the Marbury v. Madison case?

Marbury v. Madison was decided by Chief Justice John Marshall and three associate justices, Bushrod Washington, William Paterson, and Samuel Chase, all of whom were in agreement. Two other justices - William Cushing and Alfred Moore - were absent from the case due to illness.

Q: What was the legal question in Marbury v. Madison?

Marbury v. Madison revolved around the question: was William Marbury entitled to the commission for a federal office that the Jefferson administration was withholding from him? If so, did the Supreme Court have the power to issue a writ of mandamus and force the administration to give it to him?

Harrison W. Mark

Marbury v. Madison

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Definition

Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that established the principle of judicial review. In the decision, written by Chief Justice John Marshall, the court struck down a congressional statute as unconstitutional for the first time in US history, thereby establishing the United States Constitution as a legal – not just a political – document.

More about: Marbury v. Madison

Timeline

24 Feb 1803
In the case Marbury v. Madison, the Marshall Court establishes the principle of judicial review, enhancing the Court's role in the federal government.

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