--- title: "High Court Gives Government Agencies More Deference" canonicalUrl: "https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/high-court-gives-government-agencies-more-deference/" excerpt: "The U.S. Supreme Court recently clarified that a governmental agency which has been given the authority to promulgate regulations and adjudicate disputes may use such authority to interpret its governing statute and that the courts should defer to such interpretation.  In Arlington v. FCC, No. 11-1545 (May 20, 2013), the Court considered the FCC’s interpretation of the Federal Communications Act.  That Act included a requirement that state and local governments act “within a reasonable period of time.”  In ruling on a petition to clarify that statutory language, the FCC stated that “a reasonable period of time” would mean 90 days and…
Read More" datePublished: "2013-06-14T17:00:46-04:00" dateModified: "2024-05-24T16:07:07-04:00" --- - High Court Gives Government Agencies More Deference [Home](https://wyche.com/) » High Court Gives Government Agencies More Deference [** Gregory (Greg) J. English](https://wyche.com/author/genglish/) ** ** ** # High Court Gives Government Agencies More Deference The U.S. Supreme Court recently clarified that a governmental agency which has been given the authority to promulgate regulations and adjudicate disputes may use such authority to interpret its governing statute and that the courts should defer to such interpretation.  In *Arlington v. FCC*, No. 11-1545 (May 20, 2013), the Court considered the FCC’s interpretation of the Federal Communications Act.  That Act included a requirement that state and local governments act “within a reasonable period of time.”  In ruling on a petition to clarify that statutory language, the FCC stated that “a reasonable period of time” would mean 90 days and 150 days, depending on the type of application.  The Court held that, because the Act gives the FCC the authority to adjudicate such disputes, lower courts should defer to this interpretation.  As a result of this decision, businesses can expect courts to be even more deferential to agencies’ interpretations of the law.  We can expect to see this agency deference argument raised in matters involving environmental agencies. [*](https://wyche.com/author/genglish/) [## Gregory (Greg) J. English](https://wyche.com/author/genglish/) Greg works primarily in the area of commercial litigation, including corporate,  environmental, real estate and other commercial cases. His varied litigation experience includes over 50 jury and bench trials, plus numerous hearings on preliminary motions and injunctions, dispositive motions, and appeals in both state and federal courts.  RELATED ARTICLES [](https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/ai-at-work-two-key-considerations-for-employers/) ### [AI at Work: Two Key Considerations for Employers](https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/ai-at-work-two-key-considerations-for-employers/) AI is already embedded in hiring platforms, performance management tools, and daily workflows across industries.  As adoption of AI tools accelerates, so does the legal [](https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/wyche-expands-environmental-and-land-use-capabilities-with-nationally-recognized-preservation-lawyer-will-cook/) ### [Wyche Expands Environmental and Land Use Capabilities with Nationally Recognized Preservation Lawyer Will Cook](https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/wyche-expands-environmental-and-land-use-capabilities-with-nationally-recognized-preservation-lawyer-will-cook/) COLUMBIA, SC (January 13, 2026) – Wyche, a full-service law firm with offices across South Carolina, is pleased to announce that Will Cook, a nationally [* View All](https://wyche.com/insights/news-stories/) ## Stay in Touch Join one our mailing lists and receive regular updates! [Subscribe to Updates](/subscription) ## Contact Us * * Send Message - [Our Philosophy](https://wyche.com/our-philosophy/) - [Unique Culture](https://wyche.com/our-unique-culture/) - [Client Service](https://wyche.com/wyche-difference/) - [Global Reach](https://wyche.com/global-reach/) - [Careers](https://wyche.com/careers/) - [Locations](https://wyche.com/locations) - [Centennial](https://wyche.com/wyche-100/) [Linkedin **](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wychepa/) [Facebook **](https://www.facebook.com/wychepa?ref=hl) [Instagram **](https://www.instagram.com/wychepa/)