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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
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A quick definition of Marbury v. Madison (1803):
Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a court case that gave the Supreme Court the power to decide if laws made by the government are allowed by the Constitution. Before Thomas Jefferson became President, John Adams appointed William Marbury as a justice of the peace. But Jefferson's Secretary of State, James Madison, didn't give Marbury the job. Marbury went to the Supreme Court to ask for his job, but the Court said they couldn't give it to him. However, the Court also said that they could decide if laws made by the government were okay or not. This made the Supreme Court very important because they could now say if the government was following the rules of the Constitution or not.
A more thorough explanation:
Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was an important case because it established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review. This means that the Supreme Court has the authority to review legislative or executive acts and find them unconstitutional.
Here's an example: After President John Adams lost the 1800 election, but before he left office, he appointed Marbury as a justice of the peace and signed the commission. Soon thereafter, Thomas Jefferson became President of the United States and refused to allow Secretary of State James Madison to deliver the commission to Marbury. Marbury sued Madison in the Supreme Court to get his commission via a writ of mandamus.
Under Justice John Marshall, the Court specifically held that the provision in the 1789 Act granting the Supreme Court the power to issue a writ of mandamus was unconstitutional. This means that the Supreme Court cannot force the government to do something if it goes against the Constitution.
Marbury v. Madison limited federal court’s jurisdiction, but it cemented the Court’s status as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution. This means that the Supreme Court has the final say on what the Constitution means and how it should be applied.