module 2 con law I

Article III, Section 1

Vests federal judicial power in one Supreme Court and inferior courts established by Congress.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to review and invalidate government acts incompatible with the Constitution.

Stare Decisis

The judicial principle of relying on prior cases to maintain consistency in the law.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Established federal district and circuit courts, and defined the Supreme Court's initial composition.

Federal Judicial Tenure

Life tenure during "good behavior" to protect judicial independence from political pressure.

Compensation Clause

Prevents Congress from diminishing federal judges' salaries during their continuance in office.

Original Jurisdiction

A court's power to hear a case first, acting as the trial court.

Appellate Jurisdiction

The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts.

Marbury v. Madison (1803) Issue

Whether the Supreme Court could issue a writ of mandamus under an unconstitutional statute.

Writ of Mandamus

An order commanding a public official to perform a mandatory legal duty.

Marbury v. Madison (1803) Holding

Established judicial review; Congress cannot expand the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction beyond Article III.

Martin v. Hunter's Lessee (1816)

Established the Supreme Court's constitutional authority to review state court decisions involving federal law.

Ex parte McCardle (1869)

Upheld the constitutional power of Congress to limit or alter the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction.

Justiciability

The doctrine limiting federal courts to resolving actual "cases" and "controversies" under Article III.

Advisory Opinions

Non-justiciable, hypothetical legal advice requested of the court by government officials; strictly prohibited.

Collusive Suits

Suits dismissed because the parties lack an actual adversarial relationship and want the same outcome.

Mootness

A doctrine requiring dismissal of a case because the active controversy has already been resolved.

Ripeness

A doctrine barring cases where the injury is speculative and has not yet occurred.

Political Question Doctrine

Bar on federal court review of issues textually committed by the Constitution to political branches.

Baker v. Carr (1962)

Held that legislative apportionment challenges are justiciable and do not present non-justiciable political questions.

Nixon v. United States (1993)

Held that Senate procedures for impeachment trials are non-justiciable political questions.

Three Elements of Article III Standing

1. Injury in fact

2. Causal connection (traceability)

3. Redressability

Injury in Fact

An invasion of a legally protected interest that is concrete, particularized, and actual or imminent.

Lujan v. Defenders of Wildlife (1992)

Held that plaintiffs lacked standing because their future plans to observe wildlife were too speculative.

Taxpayer Standing Rule

Generally denied because a taxpayer's grievance is a shared public concern, not a concrete personal injury.

Flast v. Cohen (1968)

Established a narrow exception allowing taxpayer standing to challenge spending that violates the Establishment Clause.