If a Court or Justice is referred to as being an "activist," what does the term mean/suggest?

Question

If a Court or Justice is referred to as being an "activist," what does the term mean/suggest?

Answer 1

It means that they seek to stretch the Constitution to accomodate their own political or social beliefs.

Answer 2

It means that they use the bench as a mini-legislature from which to pass judgments into law that accord with their belief systems, and usually that they use very 'creative' interpretations of the Constitution and Common Law to do so.  Normally they are left leaning but that is not necessary for the term to apply.

Answer 3

the term refers to someone who takes up an issue and goes for broke (i.e., women's' rights, ecology, immigrant invasion, illegals in USA  or anywhere, etc.).  any activist is a person who is dedicated and passionate to see what they want done and usually stops at nothing to get it achieved. back in the 60s it was civil rights. in the 70s, women's' rights to chose abortion safely and in the new millennium?  illegals and deportation. pearl harbor changed a lot of the way we saw things and we vowed that never to happen again. well, not until 9/11 and now things again have changed - again.  look at the court cases in the supreme after 1941 and be amazed. now, zip up to post-9/11 and do a double-take. deja vu!