Heckler v. Chaney
470 U.S. 821 · Decided March 20, 1985 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Heckler v. Chaney was decided on March 20, 1985 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Judicial review of agency actions” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 470 U.S. 821 · 105 S. Ct. 1649 · 84 L. Ed. 2d 714 · 1985 U.S. LEXIS 78
- Docket number
- 83-1878
- Decided
- March 20, 1985
- Argued
- December 3, 1984
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Judicial review of agency actions
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Heckler, Secretary of Health and Human Services v. Chaney et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1984-060, docket 1984-060-01.
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Other cases on “Judicial review of agency actions”
- Florida Power & Light Co. v. Lorion
- Lindahl v. Office of Personnel Management
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- Block v. Community Nutrition Institute
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. Dimension Financial Corp.
- National Labor Relations Board v. International Association of Bridge
Cases on the same legal provision: Administrative Procedure Act or Administrative Orders Review Act
- Webster v. Doe
- Bowen v. Massachusetts
- Steadman v. Securities and Exchange Commission
- Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation
- R. Gordon Darby v. Henry G. Cisneros
- Director v. Greenwich CollieriesAltered precedent
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- United States Department of Justice v. Provenzano
- Board of License Commissioners of the Town of Tiverton v. Pastore
- Marrese v. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Florida Power & Light Co. v. Lorion
- Lindahl v. Office of Personnel Management
- Honig v. Students of the California School for the Blind
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error