Final answer:
The framers of the Constitution aimed to protect judicial independence by creating a separate judicial branch with the power of judicial review, appointing judges through a combined executive and legislative process, and limiting the judiciary's power to interpretation without force or will.
Step-by-step explanation:
The framers of the original Constitution believed that judicial independence would be best protected by ensuring that the judicial branch remained separate from the other governing branches, and it was endowed with the power of judicial review. To maintain this independence, Article III of the Constitution established the Supreme Court, with lower courts to be created by Congress. Supreme Court justices and federal judges were to be appointed by the president with approval from the Senate, as outlined in the Judiciary Act of 1789. The establishment of an independent judiciary was seen as essential to the well-being of a national government, particularly after the inefficacy of the Confederation Congress under the Articles of Confederation, which lacked a national court system. In Alexander Hamilton's Federalist No. 78, he argued that the judiciary would be the least dangerous branch because it had 'neither force nor will, but merely judgment'. The judiciary's role was to interpret the law and protect people from unjust legislation without having direct influence over the legislature or the execution of laws. This structure was believed to protect the rights of minority groups more effectively by ensuring a balance of power between the branches of government.