The power to determine whether a law complies with the Constitution rests with which branch?

The power to determine whether a law complies with the Constitution rests with which branch?

• A. Legislative
• B. Judicial
• C. Executive
• D. Administrative

Answer: (B)

Judicial review is the power to decide if laws or government actions conform to the Constitution. Courts interpret statutes and can strike down those that violate constitutional limits, serving as a check on both the legislative and the executive branches. This principle—established in practice through Marbury v. Madison—puts constitutional interpretation in the hands of the judiciary. The legislative branch makes laws, the executive enforces them, and while administrative agencies carry out many functions, they do not determine constitutional validity.

Judicial review is the power to decide if laws or government actions conform to the Constitution. Courts interpret statutes and can strike down those that violate constitutional limits, serving as a check on both the legislative and the executive branches. This principle—established in practice through Marbury v. Madison—puts constitutional interpretation in the hands of the judiciary. The legislative branch makes laws, the executive enforces them, and while administrative agencies carry out many functions, they do not determine constitutional validity.