Why is the court case Marburg v Madison significant how did it elevate the power of the Supreme Court
The court case Marbury v. Madison is significant because it established the principle of judicial review, which elevated the power of the Supreme Court.
In 1803, the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled in Marbury v. Madison that it had the authority to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. The case itself revolved around the issue of whether William Marbury, a Federalist who had been appointed as a justice of the peace by President John Adams in the last moments of his presidency, had the right to have his commission delivered by Secretary of State James Madison in the new administration of President Thomas Jefferson.
The Court ultimately ruled that Marbury did indeed have the right to his commission, but it also held that the provision of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which gave the Court the power to issue a writ of mandamus to enforce Marbury's right, was unconstitutional. This decision set a precedent for the Court's power to interpret the Constitution and determine the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress.
By establishing the principle of judicial review, the Supreme Court gained the power to invalidate any law that it deemed to be in conflict with the Constitution. This elevated the power of the Court to be the final arbiter of constitutional interpretation, giving it a significant check on the other branches of government. The decision in Marbury v. Madison demonstrated the Court's ability to assert its role as a coequal branch of government and solidified the concept of judicial review, shaping the course of American constitutional law ever since.