What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison in establishing judicial review?

• A. It established the power of courts to strike down laws and executive actions that violate the Constitution.
• B. It created the Supreme Court.
• C. It clarified the powers of the President.
• D. It defined the role of Congress in constitutional interpretation.

Answer: (C)

Judicial review is the power of courts to strike down laws and executive actions that violate the Constitution. Marbury v. Madison is the landmark case that established this power for the U.S. judiciary. In this decision, the Court held that while Marbury had a right to the commission he sought, the Court could not grant the writ because the portion of the Judiciary Act of 1789 enabling that remedy extended beyond what the Constitution permitted. By ruling that the Constitution is the supreme law and that it is the judiciary’s role to interpret it, the Court asserted its authority to review and invalidate laws or actions that conflict with the Constitution.

This set up a crucial check on both Congress and the President, ensuring that constitutional limits are enforced and that constitutional interpretation is ultimately a judicial prerogative. The case did not create the Supreme Court, nor did it primarily aim to clarify the President’s powers or Congress’s role in interpretation; it established the judiciary as the guardian of constitutional supremacy and the mechanism for enforcing it.