Tag Archives: “ACOE v. Hawkes”

After the Supreme Court decided last spring that Army Corps of Engineers’ Jurisdictional Determinations are final agency action subject to judicial review, I advised the Corps to pick up its marbles and go home.  The statute does not require the Corps to issue JDs.  To me, if the Corps is going to subject itself to litigation every time it issues a JD, it might as well just stop.  … More

In a decision that was not a surprise based on oral argument, the Supreme Court today ruled that Army Corps of Engineers Jurisdictional Determinations concerning “waters of the United States” are final agency action subject to judicial review under the APA.  As we previously noted, this continues the Court’s emphasis on the practical consequences of Corps decisions.  Indeed, Chief Justice Roberts noted that the Court’s decision:

Tracks the ‘pragmatic’ approach we have long taken to finality.… More

According to the trade press, today’s argument in Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes did not go well for the government.  Pretty much the entire Court was seen as likely to conclude that Corps jurisdictional determinations are final agency subject to judicial review.  The reach of Sackett expands a bit more.

As we noted after the 8th Circuit decision in Hawkes,… More