William Marbury sued James Madison because he believed that Madison had illegally withheld his judicial commission. The case was argued before the Supreme Court in February 1803 and decided in March 1803.
Marbury’s case was based on a law passed by Congress in 1789, which provided that when the President failed to deliver commissions within three months of their issuance, they were considered to have been properly delivered. This law was intended to prevent presidents from withholding appointments indefinitely, but it did not apply to Marbury because he had not yet received his commission at the time of the passage of this law. The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that Madison had acted illegally in withholding Marbury’s appointment. In doing so, however, Chief Justice John Marshall also established the principle of judicial review — that federal courts were empowered to strike down laws passed by Congress or signed by the president if they were unconstitutional.
Although Chief Justice John Marshall ruled against Marbury, he nevertheless stated that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional because it gave the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over cases brought by private citizens against the government (rather than just those brought by states).
In 1803, the Supreme Court ruled against Marbury in what became known as “Marbury v. Madison.” The ruling established an important principle: courts cannot force the executive branch to enforce laws that it does not like or agree with.
