Which case established the principle of judicial review in the U.S.?

Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review in the United States.

The Supreme Court decided the case in 1803 under Chief Justice John Marshall. William Marbury had been appointed a justice of the peace by outgoing President John Adams, but Secretary of State James Madison declined to deliver Marbury’s commission after Thomas Jefferson took office. Marbury asked the Court to order Madison to deliver it.

Marshall ruled that Marbury had a legal right to the commission but that the statute giving the Court authority to issue the order conflicted with the Constitution. The Court therefore refused to grant Marbury’s requested remedy while asserting its authority to invalidate unconstitutional laws.

Judicial review means courts may evaluate government actions against the Constitution. The decision is often confused with later landmark cases: Brown v. Board of Education addressed school segregation, Roe v. Wade addressed abortion rights, and Plessy v. Ferguson upheld segregation before Brown overturned that doctrine.