Find Court Cases > Northern Pipeline Const. v. Marathon Pipe Line

Northern Pipeline Const. v. Marathon Pipe Line

Case Date: 04/27/1982
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

The Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 created a system of bankruptcy courts as an adjunct to the federal system of district courts. This case was decided together with United States v. Marathon Pipeline Co.

Question 

Did the Act violate Article III of the Constitution?

Argument Northern Pipeline Const. v. Marathon Pipe Line - Oral ArgumentFull Transcript Text  Download MP3 Conclusion  Decision: 6 votes for Marathon Pipe Line, 3 vote(s) against Legal provision: Article 3, Section 1, Paragraph 2: Good Behavior and Compensation Clause of Federal Judges

Yes. A plurality held that Congress had essentially conferred Article III powers to an adjunct system of courts and, consequently, "impermissibly removed most, if not all, of the essential attributes of the judicial power" from the district courts.