Glossary

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

The 2024 Supreme Court decision overruling Chevron and requiring courts to use independent judgment in interpreting statutes agencies enforce.

Also called: Loper Bright, Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024)

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (2024) was decided with a companion case, Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce. Fishing companies challenged a National Marine Fisheries Service rule requiring them to pay for onboard observers, arguing that the Magnuson-Stevens Act did not authorize it. Lower courts had upheld the rule under chevron deference.

In a 6-3 opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts, the Supreme Court overruled Chevron. It held that the Administrative Procedure Act directs courts to decide "all relevant questions of law" for themselves, and that a statute's ambiguity does not mean Congress delegated authority to the agency to resolve it. Courts may still give weight to agency views that reflect long-standing, consistent and well-reasoned expertise, a standard from Skidmore v. Swift & Co. (1944). Where Congress expressly delegates discretion to an agency, courts review whether the agency stayed within it.

Critics of deference, many conservatives among them, said the decision restores the judiciary's role and checks the administrative state. Dissenting justices and supporters of deference argued that it shifts power from expert agencies to judges and will produce legal uncertainty. The ruling is often discussed with the major questions doctrine.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Chevron deference A former rule requiring courts to accept a federal agency's reasonable reading of an ambiguous statute it administers. Major questions doctrine A rule that agencies need clear authorization from Congress before deciding issues of vast economic or political significance. Administrative state A term for the federal agencies that make and enforce rules with binding effect, often seen as a fourth branch of government. Nondelegation doctrine The principle that Congress may not hand its lawmaking power to agencies or others without clear limits on how it is used. Separation of powers The constitutional division of government into legislative, executive and judicial branches, each with its own distinct powers.