Marbury v. Madison 1803: Case Brief

Marbury v. Madison was a landmark case in United States Supreme Court history, decided in 1803. It established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of the federal courts to declare a law or government action unconstitutional. The case arose when William Marbury, a Federalist, sued Secretary of State James Madison for not delivering his commission as a justice of the peace. Marbury argued that the Judiciary Act of 1789 gave the Supreme Court the power to issue writs of mandamus compelling executive officials to perform their duties, and that he was entitled to such a writ. However, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional, because it attempted to give the Supreme Court powers that were not granted to it by the Constitution. Marshall reasoned that the Constitution established a system of checks and balances between the three branches of government, and that the power of judicial review was inherent in the Constitution. Marshall's ruling established the principle of judicial review, which has since become a fundamental principle of American constitutional law. The ruling also strengthened the power of the federal judiciary relative to the other branches of government, and established the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of the Constitution.

Teacher-prepared notes show students what is important and how ideas relate, and offer a model for how students should take notes themselves (Marzano et al., 2001). These teacher-created notes will help your students grasp the major impact of the Marbury v. Madison 1803 case. These notes come with a student version and a completed teacher version. These notes work well as a supplement to class readings!

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