Administrative Justice in the United Kingdom

This book critically examines the development and operation of administrative justice in the UK.

Everyday, people have millions of interactions with government and public services. Administrative justice is concerned with the fairness of these interactions and the redress mechanisms people can use when things go wrong. Administrative justice is a large and expanding part of the legal system and of governmental activity in the United Kingdom. It includes initial administrative decision-making, the delivery of public services as well as redress and scrutiny mechanisms, principally tribunals, complaint-handling and ombudsmen. Administrative justice encompasses a far greater number of decisions than the caseloads of the courts.

This book explores what administrative justice is, why it is important, how it has evolved, how it works in practice and how it could be improved. Combining theoretical and empirical analysis, the book examines various contexts in which administrative justice operates, including benefits and special educational needs and disability. It also examines the social and political forces that drive the development of administrative justice and critically analyses the creation, operation and effectiveness of redress institutions.