Which case first defined that the Supreme Court serves as interpreter of the Constitution?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Marbury v. Madison
• C. Roe v. Wade
• D. Plessy v. Ferguson

Answer: (B)

Judicial review is the power of the courts to interpret the Constitution and strike down laws or government actions that conflict with it. Marbury v. Madison established this power for the Supreme Court. In 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall’s opinion held that a section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 asked the Court to exercise authority beyond what the Constitution granted, and since the Constitution is the supreme law, the Court must review and nullify unconstitutional laws. This decision thus positioned the Supreme Court as the interpreter of the Constitution, giving it the final say on constitutional questions.

The other cases later became landmark for applying constitutional interpretation to specific issues—Brown v. Board of Education addressed equal protection and desegregation; Roe v. Wade addressed privacy and abortion rights; Plessy v. Ferguson upheld segregation under a different doctrine—yet they did not establish the Court’s foundational role as the interpreter of the Constitution.