The Chief Justice ruled that the Court could not grant the writ because Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of , which granted it the right to do so, was unconstitutional insofar as it extended to cases of original jurisdiction. Original jurisdiction -- the power to bring cases directly to the Supreme Court -- was the only jurisdictional matter dealt with by the Constitution itself. According to Article III, it applied only to cases "affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls" and to cases "in which the state shall be party.
And when an act of Congress is in conflict with the Constitution, it is, Marshall said, the obligation of the Court to uphold the Constitution because, by Article VI, it is the "supreme law of the land. Jefferson was not pleased with the lecture given him by the Chief Justice, however, nor with Marshall's affirmation of the Court's power to review acts of Congress.
For practical strategic reasons, Marshall did not say that the Court was the only interpreter of the Constitution though he hoped it would be and he did not say how the Court would enforce its decisions if Congress or the Executive opposed them. But, by his timely assertion of judicial review, the Court began its ascent as an equal branch of government -- an equal in power to the Congress and the president.
Throughout its long history, when the Court needed to affirm its legitimacy, it has cited Marshall's opinion in Marbury v. The plaintiffs in the case were Richard and Mildred Loving, a white man and Black woman whose marriage was deemed illegal according to Virginia state law. Even before the U. Constitution was created, its framers understood that it would have to be amended to confront future challenges and adapt and grow alongside the new nation.
In creating the amendment process for what would become the permanent U. Constitution, the framers Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Recommended for you. James Madison. Dolley Madison.
Hidden History: Madison Square Park. McCulloch v. Maryland On March 6, , the U. James Madison James Madison was a founding father of the United States and the fourth American president, serving in office from to Board of Education Brown v. Ferguson Plessy v.
Wade Roe v. Loving V. Reports: Marbury v. Madison, 5 U. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Law Library of Congress. Back to top. Hosted by Springshare. And in Ware v. Hylton , the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia creditor law in conflict with the Treaty of Paris based on federal supremacy. And while Marbury was not a particularly controversial decision in , it has remained the source of scholarly debate.
But in the long run, Marshall got what he wanted: A independent Supreme Court with the power of judicial review. For more reading on the debate between scholars over the meaning of Marbury and its implication for judicial review and judicial supremacy, consider the following:.
Edward S. Mark A. Michael J.
0コメント