Was taught about this case in high school. All American kids learn about it..
Marbury v. Madison (decided in the court of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1803)
Google it and it's implications. Also, google Chief Justice John Marshall (supreme court judge that practically established Supreme court as the third pillar of U.S state after congress and Presidency).
In a nutshell, Chief Justice Marshall overturned an act passed in congress (hence consolidating the institute of Judicial Review) and acted as a 'decider' between President and Congress deadlock. By doing so, Justice Marshall cleverly established Supreme Court as THE deciding institution in the United States, and hence being a bit more powerful than even Congress or the Presidency.
All of these things look 'common sense' to average American now because strong legal precedents and history has firmly established the Supreme Court is probably the most powerful institution in the United States' Republican set up. All of this wasn't by accident, but law giants of U.S Supreme courts crafted this institution via strong legal precedents and at times unpopular steps to provide justice as they deem necessary. For example, ending racial segregation in the Public schools in the United States was a Supreme Court decision (brown v board of education). It was SO contentious that the President had to send military forces to enforce the order (since governors and political authorities refused to obey the order because entire population was against it).
I'm dead sure that our justices are aware of this history in far more detail than me. Hopefully they realize the chance they have at their hands. There's a reason U.S did not produce Nawaz and Zardari at consistent basis--even though it has trillion times more wealth to be looted by the corrupt than Pakistan. Rule of Law and accountability of the most powerful goes a long way in establishing long-lasting and prosperous constitutional republics.
). So i huge decision like this that means that being in power do not mean that one can loot this country will have enormous positive effect that it happens this week or the next wont matter too much.
