Cite as: 537 U. S. 71 (2002)
Opinion of the Court
Secretary denies relief, may an applicant seek review in a district court.
This broad authority of the Secretary, i. e., ATF, to grant or deny relief, even when the statutory prerequisites are satisfied, shows that judicial review under § 925(c) cannot occur without a dispositive decision by ATF. First, in the absence of a statutorily defined standard of review for action under § 925(c), the APA supplies the applicable standard. 5 U. S. C. § 701(a). Under the APA, judicial review is usually limited to determining whether agency action is "arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law." § 706(2)(A). Application of the APA standard of review here indicates that judicial review is predicated upon ATF's dispositive decision: the "arbitrary and capricious" test in its nature contemplates review of some action by another entity, rather than initial judgment of the court itself.
Second, both parts of the standard for granting relief point to ATF as the primary decisionmaker. Whether an applicant is "likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety" presupposes an inquiry into that applicant's background—a function best performed by the Executive, which, unlike courts, is institutionally equipped for conducting a neutral, wide-ranging investigation. Similarly, the "public interest" standard calls for an inherently policy-based decision best left in the hands of an agency.
Third, the admission of additional evidence in district court proceedings is contemplated only in exceptional circumstances. See 18 U. S. C. § 925(c) (allowing, "in [district court's] discretion," admission of evidence where "failure to do so would result in a miscarriage of justice"). Congressional assignment of such a circumscribed role to a district court shows that the statute contemplates that a district court's determination will heavily rely on the record and the decision made by ATF. Indeed, the very use in § 925(c) of
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