Which 1803 U.S. Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison was the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

The dispute began after President John Adams appointed William Marbury as a justice of the peace near the end of his presidency. Marbury’s commission was not delivered before Thomas Jefferson took office, and Jefferson’s secretary of state, James Madison, refused to provide it. Marbury asked the Supreme Court to order Madison to deliver the commission.

Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the Court’s opinion, issued on February 24, 1803. The Court concluded that Marbury had a right to his commission but that the Supreme Court could not issue the requested order under the relevant part of the Judiciary Act of 1789. Marshall held that this section conflicted with the Constitution and was therefore invalid.

The decision established the federal courts’ authority to review the constitutionality of government actions and invalidate laws that violate the Constitution. It did not invent the broader idea of judicial review, which had earlier roots in colonial and state legal practice.