Legal Definitions - hard-look doctrine

The hard-look doctrine is a principle in administrative law that requires a court to carefully review a decision made by an administrative agency. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the decision was not made based on expediency, pressure, or whim.

For example, let's say that an administrative agency approves a new construction project in a residential area. The decision may be challenged in court by residents who are concerned about the impact on their neighborhood. The court would apply the hard-look doctrine to review the agency's decision and determine if it was made based on sound reasoning and evidence, or if it was influenced by outside factors.

Another example could be a decision made by a regulatory agency to approve a new drug for sale. The court would review the agency's decision to ensure that it was based on scientific evidence and not influenced by pressure from the pharmaceutical industry.

These examples illustrate how the hard-look doctrine is used to ensure that administrative agencies make decisions based on the law and facts, rather than outside influences.