Oswald, Administrator versus the State of New-York was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1792. The dispute centered around whether or not an individual could bring suit against a state without its consent. Oswald argued that he had been wrongfully denied his inheritance and sought damages from the state for this alleged injustice. The court ultimately ruled that individuals cannot sue states without their permission, as it would be unconstitutional to do so since states are sovereign entities with immunity from such suits unless they have consented to them beforehand. This ruling established precedent for future cases involving similar issues and has become known as one of the earliest examples of judicial review in American history.

In the case of Oswald, Administrator versus The State of New-York, Justice Iredell delivered a dissenting opinion. He argued that the Court had no jurisdiction to hear this matter because it was not within its power to decide questions between two states. Furthermore, he noted that even if the court did have jurisdiction over such matters, they should be decided by a jury in order for justice to prevail. Additionally, he stated that since there were no facts presented before them on which an opinion could be formed and rendered with certainty or precision; therefore any decision would necessarily involve conjecture and uncertainty as well as being contrary to established principles of law. Finally, Justice Iredell concluded his dissent by noting that it is better for disputes between two states to remain unresolved than for one state's rights and interests to suffer from an erroneous judgment based upon insufficient evidence or information.