Judicial restraint is the theory that judges should limit their exercise of power and strike down laws only when they are obviously unconstitutional, and always follow precedents set by older courts. Judicial activism is the opposite view, and is sometimes meant to imply politically motivated judicial decisions.
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Judicial activism weakens the separation of powers by involving the Court in what are traditionally executive and legislative functions. Judicial restraint reinforces separation of powers.
The Warren Court, which was active from 1953 until Chief Justice Earl Warren retired in 1969, is often accused of judicial activism for its many decisions supporting African-Americans' civil rights. Whether they believed they were judicial activists or not is unknown.
The critical thing to remember about such terms as activism and restraint is that they are (
An advocate of judicial restrain would support a narrow interpretation of the Constitution, one that adhered closely to the language of the document and his or her belief about the Framers' original intent. Interpretive ideologies such as textualism, "strict constructionism," and originalism are most often associated with judicial restraint. Contextualism, which attempts to infer intent from content, may also result in judicial restraint; however, the degree of subjectivity implicit in this method can also lend itself to judicial activism.
judicial activism!