diff --git a/dataforge/validator.py b/dataforge/validator.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4e1ecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dataforge/validator.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+"""JSON Schema validation module for DataForge CLI."""
+
+import json
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+
+from jsonschema import Draft7Validator, ValidationError, validate
+
+from .parsers import load_data
+
+
+class SchemaValidator:
+    """Handle JSON Schema validation for data files."""
+
+    def __init__(self, schema: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None, schema_file: Optional[str] = None):
+        """Initialize validator with optional schema."""
+        self.schema = None
+        self.validator_class = None
+        if schema is not None:
+            self.set_schema(schema)
+        elif schema_file is not None:
+            self.load_schema_from_file(schema_file)
+
+    def set_schema(self, schema: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Set the validation schema."""
+        self.schema = schema
+        draft = schema.get("$schema", "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#")
+        if "draft-07" in draft or "draft-07" in draft:
+            self.validator_class = Draft7Validator
+        elif "draft-2019-09" in draft:
+            from jsonschema import Draft201909Validator
+            self.validator_class = Draft201909Validator
+        else:
+            self.validator_class = Draft7Validator
+
+    def load_schema_from_file(self, schema_file: str) -> None:
+        """Load schema from a file."""
+        schema_data = load_data(schema_file)
+        self.set_schema(schema_data)
+
+    def validate(self, data: Any, raise_on_error: bool = False) -> List[ValidationError]:
+        """Validate data against the schema."""
+        if self.schema is None:
+            raise ValueError("No schema has been set for validation")
+        validator = self.validator_class(self.schema)
+        errors = list(validator.iter_errors(data))
+        if raise_on_error and errors:
+            raise ValidationError(errors[0].message)
+        return errors
+
+    def validate_file(self, file_path: str, format: Optional[str] = None) -> List[ValidationError]:
+        """Validate a file against the schema."""
+        data = load_data(file_path, format)
+        return self.validate(data)
+
+    def get_error_messages(self, errors: List[ValidationError]) -> List[str]:
+        """Convert validation errors to human-readable messages."""
+        messages = []
+        for error in errors:
+            path = " -> ".join(str(p) for p in error.path) if error.path else "root"
+            messages.append(f"Path '{path}': {error.message}")
+        return messages
+
+
+def validate_data(data: Any, schema: Dict[str, Any]) -> tuple[bool, List[str]]:
+    """Validate data against a schema and return success status and error messages."""
+    validator = SchemaValidator(schema=schema)
+    errors = validator.validate(data)
+    messages = validator.get_error_messages(errors)
+    return len(errors) == 0, messages
+
+
+def validate_file(file_path: str, schema_file: str, format: Optional[str] = None) -> tuple[bool, List[str]]:
+    """Validate a file against a schema file."""
+    validator = SchemaValidator(schema_file=schema_file)
+    errors = validator.validate_file(file_path, format)
+    messages = validator.get_error_messages(errors)
+    return len(errors) == 0, messages
+
+
+def load_schema(schema_source: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Load a schema from a file or string."""
+    return load_data(schema_source)