... the position of the Court. They have liberalised the concept of standing so that almost any group could bring its case before federal bench. The Court also broadened the scope of relief to permit action behalf of groups of people in class action cases. By the end of the 1970s, the Court enjoyed wide ranging power and therefore in theory, the Court was in a better position to protect civil liberties. The Bush and Reagan administrations sought to put an end to this liberalisation of the court by appointing conservative judges. However, the new judges did not want to relinquish their power. In the case of Loujan v Defenders of Wildlife, the conservative justice Scalia turned a case from judicial restraint by not being able to accept the case due to standing, into a case for judicial activism by criticising the Congressional Act. Although he was a conservative judge, he ...

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