Final answer:
The central question leading to the establishment of judicial review was whether the courts have the authority to declare government actions unconstitutional. The Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803, under Chief Justice John Marshall,.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central question that led to the establishment of judicial review was whether the courts have the authority to examine and invalidate actions by the other branches of government and the states if those actions are deemed unconstitutional.
The landmark Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803, presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall, established that the courts held this power, significantly shaping the judiciary's role within the American system of checks and balances. Marshall argued that it was the "very essence of judicial duty" for the courts to ensure that no law violated the Constitution.
In Marbury v. Madison, the issue at hand was William Marbury's commission as a justice of the peace, which had not been delivered by Secretary of State James Madison. John Marshall recognized Marbury's right to a legal remedy and simultaneously declared the Judicial Act of 1789 unconstitutional, as it attempted to extend the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction beyond what was permitted by the Constitution.