The Judicial Branch

Article III of the Constitution defines the role of the judicial branch of the United States government. It begins by declaring the existence of a single Supreme Court and assigns to the legislative branch the power to establish and organize lower federal courts. Article III also defines the jurisdiction of both the lower courts and the Supreme Court, including when cases may be brought directly before the Supreme Court. The federal judicial system was established to resolve legal questions that fall outside the jurisdiction of individual states — such as disputes between two or more states, cases involving states and individuals not residing in those states, and matters concerning federal laws and treaties.

Article III further establishes judicial independence from the executive and legislative branches by ensuring lifetime tenure for federal judges, revocable only through impeachment and conviction. It also protects justices from reductions in pay as retaliation for unpopular or politically inconvenient decisions.

Judicial Review — Marbury v. Madison

In 1803, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall struck down the Judiciary Act of 1801, an attempt by Congress allied with the outgoing President John Adams to frustrate the incoming President Thomas Jefferson’s ability to appoint his own judges. Marshall ruled that the act of Congress was unconstitutional. This ruling established the precedent that the judicial branch holds the power to review the actions of the other two branches of government and serve as a barrier against unconstitutional overreach. Marshall’s decision imposed a critical judicial check on both the legislative and executive branches, firmly establishing the Supreme Court as the ultimate interpreter of the Constitution. Marbury v. Madison became a landmark decision that helped prevent constitutional crises from overwhelming the young nation’s political evolution.

Checks and Balances

• Judicial review of laws and executive actions (Marbury v. Madison)
• Constitutional limits on judicial jurisdiction
• Judicial independence and lifetime tenure