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Scholars have been arguing the question of whether the Supreme Court had the authority to expand its power by claiming the right of judicial review for more than two hundred years.

Many people say no, because they believe the Supreme Court shouldn't have any powers except those expressly mentioned in the Constitution. Others point out that judicial review, the greatest power of the courts, is a carry-over from English common law, the foundation of the US legal system. The Constitution may have explicitly mentioned only the areas where they intended the federal court system to deviate from established practice.

This subject only became an issue after John Marshall formally established the right of judicial review in his opinion for Marbury v. Madison, (1803). In reality, the federal court system had been exercising this power for years without challenge from either of the other branches of government.

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Q: Did the US Supreme Court have the authority to expand its own power?
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Who has the power to declare a law passed by congress unconstitutional?

The Supreme Court has the authority to interpret the Constitution.


What precedent did Marbury v. Madison set?

In 1803, Marshall decided a case that increased the power of the supreme court.


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No one within the federal judiciary has authority to remove a Supreme Court justice from office. The Constitution vested Congress with the power of impeachment, which is the only way a Supreme Court justice may be forcibly removed. For more information, see Related Questions, below.


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Article III of the Constitution refers to such courts as "inferior," meaning lower in power and authority than the US Supreme Court.


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the supreme court has the power to interpret the laws no matter what


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The Supreme Court does not have the power to amend the Constitution. Only the process of constitutional amendment outlined in Article V of the Constitution can be used to amend the Constitution. The Court's role is to interpret the Constitution and its amendments, not to amend them.


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If the supreme court rules a law unconstitutional under which principle would the court be exercising it's authority?

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