Final answer:
The 1803 Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, was indeed the first to establish the principle of judicial review, which empowered the court to declare laws unconstitutional and maintain a system of checks and balances with other government branches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Principle of Judicial Review in Marbury v. Madison
Indeed, the case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall, was the first case to enunciate the principle of judicial review. This landmark decision gave the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional, thus establishing a check and balance system between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. In this particular case, the Supreme Court declared that the Judicial Act of 1789 was unconstitutional because it exceeded the Supreme Court’s original jurisdiction as outlined in Article III of the Constitution. While William Marbury did not receive his commission, the importance of the case lies in its establishment of judicial review, which remains a central aspect of judicial power in the United States. Marshall's ruling was a strategic political maneuver that maintained the court’s authority without directly challenging the then-President Thomas Jefferson.