judicial activism

A term used by conservatives to describe court decisions which they disagree with. More often than not, applies to cases where the court declined the opportunity use its power, such as in the Terri Schiavo case, or Korematsu v. United States (1944).

In a Republican's mind, Lawrence v. Texas (2003) is an 'activist decision' while Bush v. Gore (2001) is not.

by mike April 1, 2005

judicial activism

A charge made by conservative activists against liberal judges, accusing them of using their office to make laws instead of resolve disputes over laws.

The term 'judicial activist' is almost applied to liberal judges. Conservative judicial activists, on the other hand, are called 'strict constructionists'.

by LudwigVan October 1, 2004