Bayard v. Singleton
New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Bayard V. Singleton. American precedent for judicial review of legislation set nearby, 1787, by Samuel Ashe, Samuel Spencer, John Williams.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
In 1787, in a case decided nearby, North Carolina judges Samuel Ashe, Samuel Spencer, and John Williams struck down a state law they found contrary to the state constitution. The ruling in Bayard v. Singleton is one of the earliest American precedents for judicial review—the power of courts to void unconstitutional legislation. It came just as the U.S. Constitution was being drafted in Philadelphia.
Why it matters
This early assertion of judicial review helped establish a cornerstone of American constitutional government later cemented nationally in Marbury v. Madison.
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Related people
- · Samuel Ashe
- · Samuel Spencer
- · John Williams
Related events
- · Bayard v. Singleton
Themes & tags
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