M'Iver's Lessee v. Walker and Another was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1815. The dispute centered on whether or not an individual had the right to purchase land from Native Americans without obtaining permission from Congress first, as required by law at that time. M'Iver argued that he had purchased the land legally through a contract with two Cherokee Indians who were authorized to sell it; however, Walker claimed title to the same property based on his own prior purchase of it from another set of Cherokees who did not have authority to make such sales. After considering both sides’ arguments, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in favor of M'Iver and held that individuals could lawfully acquire lands directly from Native American tribes without congressional approval so long as they obtained valid titles for their purchases according to state laws governing real estate transactions. This ruling established important precedent regarding private ownership rights over Indian lands and helped shape future federal policy towards tribal sovereignty issues.

In M'Iver's Lessee v. Walker and Another, the Supreme Court had to decide whether a state court could hear an appeal from a federal circuit court decision in which the latter had decided that it lacked jurisdiction over the case. The majority opinion held that such appeals were not permissible under existing law; however, Justice Johnson dissented on this point. He argued that there was no express prohibition against such appeals in either statute or common law and thus they should be allowed as long as they did not conflict with any other laws or principles of equity. Furthermore, he noted that allowing these types of appeals would benefit litigants by providing them with another avenue for seeking justice if their cases were dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction at the lower level courts. Ultimately, his dissent went unheeded and the majority opinion prevailed; however, his arguments remain relevant today when considering how best to provide access to justice for all parties involved in legal proceedings.