Answer:
It strengthened the role of the judicial branch of government.
It affirmed the principle of judicial review.
Explanation:
The newly appointed judges were known as the “midnight judges.” When President Jefferson took office, he refused to honor the appointments of the midnight judges. As a result, most of them never served.
A notable exception was John Marshall. This judge had been appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court. Although John Marshall was a Federalist, he was fair in his judgments. His role helped strengthen the power of the judicial branch, making it equal with the executive and legislative branches of the government. Marshall led the Supreme Court during a historic case filed by William Marbury, one of the so-called midnight judges.
The case was called Marbury v. Madison. In it, Marbury argued that the Supreme Court had the power to force President Jefferson to honor his appointment as judge. Marbury based his case on an earlier law called the Judiciary Act of 1789. Under Marshall’s leadership, the court ruled against Marbury in February 1803. Marshall wrote that Marbury did not have a case because part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional. He also stated that in order to uphold the Constitution as instructed in Article VI, the court must rule all laws in conflict with the Constitution null and void.
This decision held great importance. It established a powerful principle known as judicial review. According to this principle, the Supreme Court has the power to review laws passed by Congress and decide if they are constitutional. If the court finds any law unconstitutional, it can overturn the law. In this way, Marbury v. Madison established the Supreme Court as the final authority on the Constitution.
