Ware v. Hylton

E8364

Ware v. Hylton was a 1796 U.S. Supreme Court case that held federal treaties override conflicting state laws, helping to establish the authority of the national government under the Constitution.


Statements (42)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Supreme Court case
landmark United States Supreme Court case
alsoKnownAs The British Debt Case
areaOfLaw conflict of laws
constitutional law
contracts
international law
citation 3 U.S. (3 Dall.) 199
constitutionalProvisionInterpreted Article VI of the United States Constitution
Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution
country United States
courtType court of last resort
decisionDate 1796
defendant Hylton
fullCaseName Ware v. Hylton
governmentBranch judicial branch of the United States federal government
historicalContext post-American Revolutionary War debt disputes
holding a state law cannot nullify rights secured by a treaty of the United States
federal treaties override conflicting state laws
importance early articulation of the Supremacy Clause
helped establish the authority of the national government under the Constitution
one of the first Supreme Court cases to invalidate a state law as inconsistent with a federal treaty
jurisdiction Supreme Court of the United States
languageOfProceedings English
legalIssue conflict between federal treaties and state laws
enforcement of pre-Revolutionary War debts owed to British creditors
supremacy of treaties under the U.S. Constitution
plaintiff Ware
precedentFor federal supremacy in foreign affairs
judicial review of state laws for consistency with federal treaties
supremacy of federal treaties over state legislation
relatedCase Hylton v. United States
relatedConcept Supremacy Clause
federalism in the United States
judicial review of state laws
treaty supremacy
result Virginia law was held inoperative to the extent it conflicted with the Treaty of Paris
state Virginia
stateLawInvolved Virginia statute providing for payment of debts to British creditors into the state treasury
timePeriod Early Republic
treatyInvolved Treaty of Paris of 1783
treatyProvisionInvolved Article 4 of the Treaty of Paris of 1783

Referenced by (5)

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