Marbury vs. Madison was a 1803 Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to strike down laws found to be unconstitutional. John Adams appointed William Marbury as a judge late in his presidency, but the appointment was not delivered by James Madison. Marbury sued, leading the Supreme Court to rule that while Marbury had a right to the commission, the court could not force Madison to deliver it, as that section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 violated the Constitution. This established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review.

1. Marbury vs. Madison.Kat Schoettler and Olivia Lee.

2. Definition:n. An 1803 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it had the power to abolish legislative acts by declaring them unconstitutional; this power came to be known as judicial review.

3. Background Events:The Judiciary Act of 1801 increased the number of federal judges by 16, which forced John Adams to fill these positions. These judges are also known as midnight judges since Adams signed their appointments late on the last day of his administration. Since Adams signed them so late, Jefferson didn’t receive all of the documents authorizing the judges in time, so Jefferson announced these appointments as invalid. William Marbury was one of the judges who didn’t receive their official papers. James Madison was Jefferson’s Secretary of State at the time and the one in charge of delivering the papers. The Judiciary Act of 1789 had required the Supreme court to order that the papers be delivered, so Marbury sued to enforce this Act.

4. IMPORTANCE: Affirmed the principle of Judicial Review. Judicial Review = the ability of the Supreme Court to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional.