Bowsher v. Synar
478 U.S. 714 · Decided July 7, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Bowsher v. Synar was decided on July 7, 1986 by a vote of 7–2. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Miscellaneous” in the Miscellaneous area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 478 U.S. 714 · 106 S. Ct. 3181 · 92 L. Ed. 2d 583 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 141
- Docket number
- 85-1377
- Decided
- July 7, 1986
- Argued
- April 23, 1986
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Miscellaneous
- Issue area
- Miscellaneous
- Legal provision
- Article I, Section 7, Paragraph 2 (separation of powers)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Held unconstitutional
- An act of Congress
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Unspecifiable what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Bowsher, Comptroller General of the United States v. Synar, Member of Congress, et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-162, docket 1985-162-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Miscellaneous”
- Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Mississippi
- Morrison v. Olson
- Mistretta v. United States
- United States v. Stuart
- First National City Bank v. Banco Para El Comercio Exterior de Cuba
- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v. Citizens for the Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Article I, Section 7, Paragraph 2 (separation of powers)
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error