Which landmark case established judicial review?

• A. Marbury v. Madison.
• B. Brown v. Board of Education.
• C. Gideon v. Wainwright.
• D. Miranda v. Arizona.

Answer: (A)

Judicial review is the power of the courts to review laws and government actions to ensure they conform to the Constitution. Marbury v. Madison established this power for the Supreme Court in 1803. In that decision, the Court held that it could strike down federal laws that conflicted with the Constitution and that it must interpret the Constitution to resolve disputes about its meaning. This set up the principle that the Constitution is the supreme law and that the judiciary acts as a check on both Congress and the Presidency.

Other cases address different protections and outcomes, such as desegregation under equal protection, or the rights to counsel and to be informed of rights. But none of those cases established the general power of the courts to review and invalidate unconstitutional laws in the way Marbury v. Madison did.