Federalism was strengthened by invalidation of the Violence Against Women Act, freedom of religion and choice in education were advanced by Mitchell v. Helms, freedom of association was protected in the Boy Scouts decision, parental rights won their most important victory in decades, and the limits on
lawmaking by administrative agency were reaffirmed in the tobacco case.
Judicial decision - making provides five advantages not adequately
provided by administrative agencies: (1) a clear and exact burden of proof; (2) an opportunity to rigorously test the evidence for accuracy, integrity, and persuasiveness; (3) a thorough debate as to the correct interpretation and application of the law for the issues and evidence involved; (4) a decision by a truly impartial and competent adjudicator; and, (5) the right to a jury trial, in situations allowed by law.
be
answered by administrative agencies to which judges defer on the often fictitious ground that the agencies have «expertise,» even if their adjudicators are poorly trained, horribly overworked, highly politicized, or all these things at once.
And, do we want the administration of justice to become almost entirely
administrated by administrative agencies, with the necessary judicial correcting and accountability function playing but a minor part?
While the doctrine of res judicata can apply to
decisions by administrative agencies, the administrative proceeding must have given the parties an opportunity to present their case in the same way they could in court.
When people talk (casually) about «the law», that can refer to statutes enacted by Congress, regulations set forth
by administrative agencies to articulate specifics of those statutes, and Supreme Court rulings as to what «the law» is or says.
Dr. Ronald Luke and his colleagues have been accepted as experts in federal and state courts and
by administrative agencies.