Which case addresses following its own regulations, even if more restrictive than the law requires?

Which case addresses following its own regulations, even if more restrictive than the law requires?

• A. Greene v. McElroy
• B. Adam v. Laird
• C. Service v. Dulles
• D. Cole v. Young

Answer: (D)

Agencies must follow their own regulations in decision making, even when those rules are stricter than what the statute requires. This ensures that the process is fair, predictable, and consistent across cases, because the agency’s procedural safeguards bind how it rules, not just the bare statutory minimum. Cole v. Young illustrates this by showing that an agency’s internal procedures govern its adjudicatory actions. The court affirmed that the agency must apply its own rules—such as required notices, hearings, or specific criteria—even if the statute might permit a different, looser approach. When an agency relies on its own stricter regulations, it upholds due process and the integrity of the regulatory framework. The other cases involve different doctrinal issues—loyalty program validity, naturalization procedures, or standing—rather than the principle that an agency is bound to its own regulations in adjudication.

Agencies must follow their own regulations in decision making, even when those rules are stricter than what the statute requires. This ensures that the process is fair, predictable, and consistent across cases, because the agency’s procedural safeguards bind how it rules, not just the bare statutory minimum.

Cole v. Young illustrates this by showing that an agency’s internal procedures govern its adjudicatory actions. The court affirmed that the agency must apply its own rules—such as required notices, hearings, or specific criteria—even if the statute might permit a different, looser approach. When an agency relies on its own stricter regulations, it upholds due process and the integrity of the regulatory framework.

The other cases involve different doctrinal issues—loyalty program validity, naturalization procedures, or standing—rather than the principle that an agency is bound to its own regulations in adjudication.