Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council

The Supreme Court case Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984) established the Chevron doctrine, a two-part test for judicial review of federal agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Judges were to first determine if Congress had directly addressed the issue. If not, the agency's interpretation was to be upheld if it was reasonable.1

This doctrine guided how courts reviewed regulations, particularly in areas like environmental protection. However, critics argued it granted excessive power to administrative agencies. In June 2024, the Supreme Court overturned Chevron U.S.A., eliminating the deference rule. The Court reasoned that the Administrative Procedure Act requires courts to interpret laws, rather than deferring to agency interpretations.12