Premium Essay

Marbury V. Madison: The Supreme Court Case Of John Marshall

Submitted By
Words 426
Pages 2
The opportunity came to him in Marbury v. Madison. It might be supposed that John Marshall, who as Secretary of State had been responsible for the failure to deliver the Commission, would refuse to sit on the case because of his personal connection with it. Nevertheless, with characteristic boldness, he proceeded to seize the opportunity believing as he did that constitutional opportunity knocked but once. He held, first, that Marbury had a right to the commission because the appointment was legally completed with the signing and sealing of the Commission and that the Government was acting illegally in withholding it. Secondly, he had held mandamus was unquestionably appropriate. Thirdly, he held that under S. 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789, invoked …show more content…
He then argued that the Constitution prescribed specifically the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction, that this jurisdiction did not include the power to issue writ of mandamus to federal officers and that Congress had no power to alter this jurisdiction. Therefore, the attempt of Congress in the judiciary Act of 1789 to give the Supreme Court authority to issue writ of mandamus to public officers" appears not to be warranted by the constitution". Consequently, Marbury's application for mandamus was dismissed. Thus while the application before the Court was dismissed, an Act of Congress, the Supreme legislative body of the nation, had been pronounced unconstitutional and void. John Marshall contrived to manage the situation with great adroitness and judicial statesmanship. He had proclaimed the power of judicial review while deciding the immediate issue in favour of the administration. If he had issued writ of mandamus, a piquant situation would have arisen for the administration would in all probability have flouted the authority of the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Marbury V. Madison

...Marbury v. Madison On February 24, 1803 Chief Justice John Marshall and the rest of the Supreme Court decided on the seemingly insignificant case of Marbury v. Madison. While ruling the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional, Judicial Review was established. Granting the Supreme Court the power to rule acts of the Legislative and/or Executive Branch of government unconstitutional, hence serving as a landmark case that further legitimatized the Judicial Branch as a separate, but balanced branch of government. Marbury v. Madison has been used as a very important precedent throughout our history with 165 acts of Congress deemed unconstitutional as of 2010. In the Presidential election of 1800, the Democratic-Republic party of Thomas Jefferson defeated the Federalist party of John Adams. With the loss of the election, the Federalist Party began to diminish. Although losing the presidency, John Adams and his party was still in control for a couple months. In an attempt to maintain the Federalist Parties presence, John Adams appointed a number of Judges. All of these appointees were properly commissioned, but John Adams Secretary of State failed to deliver three commissions. With one of these commissions being a man by the name of William Marbury. Thomas Jefferson began his Presidency on March 5, 1801. After learning of these Federalists appointed by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson ordered his Secretary of State, James Madison not to deliver the remaining commissions. With William...

Words: 985 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Marbury V. Madison

...Marbury v. Madison The power that the Supreme Court has to determine the constitutionality and the validity of the acts of the executive and legislative branches of government is a firmly established basic element of the United States system of government. In 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall’s opinion in the case of Marbury v. Madison resulted in a landmark decision in the history of the Supreme Court. (Kramer, 2000) The court’s ruling established the power of judicial review, declared that the Constitution was the supreme law of the land, and that the Supreme Court has the final authority on interpreting the Constitution. In the Election of 1801, Thomas Jefferson and his anti-federalist Republican Party defeated then President John Adams and the Federalist Party. The Republicans also won a majority in Congress. In an effort to keep at least one branch of the government under Federalist control before the Republicans took office, the Federalist controlled Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 in a lame-duck session (Marbury V. Madison, n.d.). The bill reformed a 1789 statute and created many new judgeships. Adams nominated judges and the Senate confirmed them. Adams then stayed up until long after midnight on March 3, 1801, his last full day in office, signing commissions that put fifty-nine loyal Federalists in office. These were the so-called "midnight judges." (Kramer, 2000) In the final weeks before Jefferson took office, John Marshall was Secretary of State and...

Words: 776 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Experience History: John Marshall And The Judicial Review

...John Marshall and the Judicial Review happened back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. The judicial review was passed through Congress on 1801. John Marshall, James Madison, William Marbury and Thomas Jefferson took part of the judicial act during this time. All of this discussion and argument happened in the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. The book I used was Experience History: To 1877. Davidson ET. Al 2013, McGraw-Hill. The reason is to describe how John Marshall and the Judicial Review opened a place among the other branches. The Legislative, and the Executive branches didn’t want the judicial branch to have more power them. Power that the Supreme Court could have to review over the laws and to say if such law was unconstitutional....

Words: 1324 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Madison Vs. Marbury: The Most Important Supreme Court Case

...Madison v. Marbury The case of Madison v. Marbury has been decided and James Madison won the case because the court ruled the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional. This court case will go be an influential court case for years to come. The decision much to the dismay of Marbury who lost a lot of money. Thomas Jefferson though was very happy because the federal government did not have to pay the salary. John Marshall spoke for a unanimous court Feb, 24, 1803 saying that Madison won. This decision will send shockwaves through the federal government. This case started when John Adams established a lot of Justices of Peace right before he left the office of president and Thomas Jefferson said to James Madison do not pay their salary. William Marbury wanted his salary so he asked the Supreme Court for a Writ of Mandamus to make sure that he got his salary. The Justices of Peace signed a document that said that they were allowed the money but they did not receive it from Thomas Jefferson. The Judge sitting on the case was Chief Justice John Marshall and with the rest of the Supreme Court judged this issue. The reason Marbury decided to take this to the Supreme Court was to get a Writ of Mandamus which was allowed under Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789. This case turned out to be one of the most important Supreme Court cases....

Words: 577 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Law Paper

...Marbury v. Madison 5 U.S. 137 (1803) Facts: Thomas Jefferson won the 1800 presidential election against John Adams. However, because he[Jefferson] did not take office until March 4th, 1801, President John Adams appointed Federalist judges and justices of the peace, called “Midnight Judges” to the court, one of which included William Marbury. Although these appointments were approved by the Senate, the commissions for some of these appointments were not delivered on time. Thus, the new president, Thomas Jefferson, declared the remaining appointments void. Constitutional Question: Is Marbury entitled to his commission? If he has a right to his commission, and that right has been violated, does the law of the country allow a remedy to Marbury? Is the Supreme Court the legal place for Marbury to ask for the aforementioned remedy? Answer: Yes, yes, and it depends. Justice John Marshall Delivered the Opinion of the Court The President of the United States appointed Mr. Marbury a justice of peace, and that the seal and signature by the Secretary of State signifies the completion of the appointment. Therefore, Marbury has legal right to the office. Marbury has a legal right to the commission which was not delivered to him. Therefore, his right to the office and commission was violated, and the country must allow him a remedy to correct this. Since Marbury is entitled to the remedy, the question would remain of whether or not a writ of mandamus (judicial method in which...

Words: 704 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

How Did Jefferson Purchase Louisiana

...sent James Madison, Jefferson's vice president, to propose an offer to the French to buy the land. Jefferson hesitated in purchasing this territory because it expanded the American territory and allowed for more western settlement for the expanding population. Some people...

Words: 1113 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Marbury Versus Madison

...| | | | Marbury versus Madison Sarah McClam MARBURY VERSUS MADISON In the weeks after John Adams lost his bid for re-election to Thomas Jefferson in 1800, the Federalist Congress increased the number of circuit courts. Adams placed Federalist judges in these new positions. One of the justices of the peace, William Marbury, filed a writ of mandamus demanding Secretary of State James Madison deliver the appointments. The Supreme Court led by John Marshall denied the request citing part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 as unconstitutional. This historic court case established the concept of Judicial Review or the ability of the Judiciary Branch to declare a law unconstitutional. This case brought the Judicial Branch of the government on a more even power basis with the Legislative and Executive Branches. The historic court case Marbury versus Madison accomplished this end thereby setting the precedent for numerous historic decisions in the future (Marbury verses Madison, 1803). On his last day in office, President John Adams named forty-two justices of the peace and sixteen new circuit court justices for the District of Columbia under the Organic Act. The Organic Act was an attempt by the Federalists to take control of the federal judiciary before Thomas Jefferson took office. The commissions were signed by President Adams and sealed by acting Secretary of State John Marshall (who later became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and author of this opinion), but they were...

Words: 3750 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Marbury Vs Madison Case Summary

...Case: Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803) Action Sought: Writ of Mandamus Facts of the Case: William Marbury was appointed by the outgoing president, John Adams, to the position of Justice of the Peace of the District of Columbia. His commission was signed by the then president and the seal affixed by the Secretary of State at that time, John Marshall, however was not delivered prior to Thomas Jefferson becoming President. President Jefferson instructed his Secretary of State, James Madison, to not deliver the commission thereby resulting in Marbury petitioning the Supreme Court, as set forth in the conditions of the Judiciary Act of 1789, to issue a Writ of Mandamus to compel Madison to act. Issues: 1. Does Marbury have the right...

Words: 629 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Marbury V Masdison

...John Adams, a New Englander from Massachusetts and Thomas Jefferson, a Southerner from Virginia were revolutionary period colleagues and friends during the founding of the Republic even though they could not have been more different in personalities, temperament, and politics. It was perhaps inevitable they would have a falling out. Jefferson was the Vice-President of the United States when Adams was President from 1797-1801 on the basis of Jefferson receiving the second most electoral votes even though they belong to different political parties. When Jefferson challenged Adams for the presidency and won in 1801 not only was the rupture in their friendship complete, they became bitter enemies. During the last days of Adams’s one presidential term the majority Federalist Party in congress passed legislation greatly expanding the number of federal judges including justices-of-the-peace. Adams proceeded to name people of his political persuasion to these positions. A few weeks before Adams had named his Secretary of State and 2nd cousin of Thomas Jefferson, Virginian John Marshall as Chief Justice of the then six-man US Supreme Court (the court was increased to the present number of nine in 1869). Marshall thus became the 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing President Washington appointed Oliver Ellsworth (John Jay of course was the 1st). Adams was literally still writing out the names of the people he appointed as judges on his last day in office. As Secretary...

Words: 836 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Marbury Vs. Madison: Supreme Court Case

...Marbury v. Madison is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision which established the practice of judicial review under Article 3 of the Constitution. This all began during the eve of the the end of President John Adams term. Before Adams would retired, he took part in the "organic act" which sought to get as many Federalists as possible in the federal court system before Republican Thomas Jefferson took power. William Marbury was one member who was appointed as a Justice of the Peace for the District of Columbia. His appointment was valid for it was signed by President Adams and sealed by Secretary of State, John Marshall, but President Jefferson refused to send it. Marbury fully expected to receive his commission and when it wasn't delivered, Marbury went straight to the Supreme Court to issues a writ of mandamus. The Supreme Court was now placed in a tight corner. If they didn't issued the mandamus, no justice would be served and if they did issue the mandamus, President Jefferson threatened to impeach Chief Justice Marshall and power would be lost from the judiciary branch....

Words: 530 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Marbury and Madison

...Case Brief: Constitutional Law Name of case and date: Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137, 1 Cranch 137, 2 L. Ed. 60 (1803). Parties: Appellant – William Marbury; Appellee – James Madison Procedural history: The case went directly to the Supreme Court Facts: William Marbury was one of the 42 people who President John Adams named as justices of the peace on the last night of his presidency. Marbury included all of the documentation that he needed to be appointed as a justice of the peace. However, Secretary of state John Marshall failed to give Marbury his commission. After Jefferson took office, he ordered his Secretary of State, James Madison, to not deliver the commission. With the power of the Judiciary act of 1789, Marbury decided to sue, asking the Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus in order for Madison to deliver the commission. Issue: 1. Does the applicant have the right to commission, as he demands? 2. If he has a right, and that right has been violated, do the laws of his country afford him a remedy? 3. If they do afford him a remedy, is it a mandamus issuing from this court. Holding: 1.Yes, Marbury has the right to the commission 2. Yes, the law grants Marbury a remedy. 3. No, the Supreme Court cannot issue a mandamus because the grant of power is unconstitutional. Rule of law: Article III of the U.S. Constitution: Has the power to regulate appellate jurisdiction but not original jurisdiction Reasoning: 1) Marbury has the right to...

Words: 409 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Marbury Vs Madison Case Summary

...In the case Marbury v. Madison, it was the first time that the Supreme Court made the decision to declare a law as unconstitutional. However because of this case, the foundation for judicial review was formed, which grants the judicial branch the ability to declare a law unconstitutional. Through this the executive, legislative, and judicial branches all have the power to keep each other in check. Judicial review is the power of SCOTUS to be able to review laws and actions from both legislative and executive branches to confirm whether or not they are constitutional. Although the power of judicial review was gained, the US Constitution did not exactly specify or provide the judicial branch with the power. It all began once an issue arose from when Thomas Jefferson was President. The issue was that James Madison, his secretary of State, neglected the duty of providing the judges who were appointed during the last days of John Adam’s term. The reason why this situation was an issue is because of the fact that the judges won’t be able to take position until they get their commission. Due to this issue, one of the judges confronted SCOTUS asking for a writ that orders that the commission for the judges be delivered because of the Judiciary Act...

Words: 1006 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Supreme Court Case: Marbury V. Madison

...Marbury v Madison was a landmark case since it established the power of judicial review for the Judicial Branch. At the time, this was the result of a politically motivated case. The results of this case would be under appreciated for decades. The Chief Justice in this case, John Marshall, did not settle for instant gratification in this case by bowing to its political nature. Instead, he strategically decided this case in order to grant the Supreme Court more power by establishing judicial review. Judicial review is the ability of a court, in this case the Supreme Court, to decided if a law violates existing law or the United States Constitution. This was a move that would be unappreciated for decades. To begin, John Adams was a Federalist and was president until 1800. His vice president, Thomas Jefferson, was a Democratic Republican and disagreed with Adams so...

Words: 606 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Supreme Court Case: The Marbury Vs. Madison Case

...Marbury v. Madison Facts: In the Marbury v. Madison case, before the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson, the current president John Adams wanted to protect the Federalist control of the Judiciary branch by hiring new judges, by only hiring Federalists. John Adams’ efforts were a success and they were confirmed by the Senate the day directly before Thomas Jefferson inauguration. The commissions that were supposed to be delivered were never delivered (Marbury’s) once Thomas Jefferson was president. He also told his new Secretary of State (James Madison) to not to deliver the commissions. Marbury commanded to the Supreme Court to have James Madison deliver his commision. Procedural History: Marbury came to the Supreme Court in order to force James...

Words: 364 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Mcculloch V. Maryland: John Marshall's Most Important Cases

...McCulloch v Maryland was one of John Marshall’s most significant and important cases. He was the Chief of Justice for the case. During this case, he had made one of his most important decisions regarding the expansion of Federal power. He noted that Congress possessed powers that are not explicitly outlined in the U.S. Constitution. In order to cover all methods for furthering objectives covered by the enumerated powers, he had redefined “necessary” to mean “appropriate and legitimate” instead. John Marshall had aligned the Supreme Court with nationalists. These nationalists included Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and John Calhoun. He had also held that even though the states retained the power of taxation, the Constitution and the laws made...

Words: 641 - Pages: 3