The Free Petition Clause encompasses petitions to all three branches of the federal government—the Congress, the executive including administrative agencies, and the judiciary. Decided January 13, 1972 (argued November 10, 1971). Opinion of the Court: William O. Douglas → go there Applied: the First Amendment → go there Topic: Freedom of petition. California Motor Transport Co. v. Trucking Unlimited, 404 U.S. 508 (1972), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court involving the right to make petitions to the government. The right to petition is enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as: "Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right of the people...to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." This case involved the claim that one group of companies was using state and federal regulatory actions to eliminate competitors. The Supreme Court ruled that the right to petition is integral to the legal system but using lawful means to achieve unlawful restraint of trade is not protected in some instances. Wiki link