In the end, Marshall and the rest of the court made an astounding decision. In its ruling, the court criticized the administration's actions, but ultimately upheld them by ruling that the law in question was unconstitutional. The decision is held as the most important in U.S. constitutional law because although Jefferson ultimately got the ruling he wanted, in the process Marshall established the principle of judicial review. The ruling set a precedent for the legitimacy and power of the Supreme Court in the U.S., firmly establishing its powers of accountability over the executive and legislative branches. That process was repeated on Wednesday in the modern arena of a technology empire.