pogo4pres -> RE: The Living Constitution (11/30/2010 7:21:39 PM)
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ORIGINAL: rulemylife quote:
ORIGINAL: DomImus I think the founding fathers would cringe at the amount of law that is "written" at the judicial level including by the SCOTUS. Then why did they establish the Supreme Court in the Constitution? What exactly do you think their intention was if not to have the Court rule on laws, including the Constitution? See Marbury v. Madison Marbury v. Madison was the first time the Supreme Court declared something "unconstitutional", and established the concept of judicial review in the U.S. (the idea that courts may oversee and nullify the actions of another branch of government). The landmark decision helped define the "checks and balances" of the American form of government. The concept was also laid out by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78: “If it be said that the legislative body are themselves the constitutional judges of their own powers, and that the construction they put upon them is conclusive upon the other departments, it may be answered, that this cannot be the natural presumption, where it is not to be collected from any particular provisions in the Constitution. It is not otherwise to be supposed, that the Constitution could intend to enable the representatives of the people to substitute their will to that of their constituents. It is far more rational to suppose, that the courts were designed to be an intermediate body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep the latter within the limits assigned to their authority. The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution is, in fact, and must be regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It, therefore, belongs to them to ascertain its meaning, as well as the meaning of any particular act proceeding from the legislative body. If there should happen to be an irreconcilable variance between the two, that which has the superior obligation and validity ought, of course, to be preferred; or, in other words, the Constitution ought to be preferred to the statute, the intention of the people to the intention of their agents.” Deliberately emphasized in two colors by me. Legislatively, Some Knucklehead in NJ
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