Intro to Admin Law Flashcards
give 3 examples of admin law in headlines
-Covid-19 Inquiry
-Grenfell Tower Inquiry
-Post Office Horizon IT Scandal
who is the authority for the definition of admin law
Cane, 2011
how does Cane, 2011 define admin law
-“a framework for public administration… a set of rules and principles about how gov should perform its tasks whatever they may be”
what are the 2 things that admin law regulates
-administrative decision making eg issuing passports
-administrative rule making eg gov ministers enacting secondary legislation to ‘flesh out’ policy frameworks established by AoParliament
give an example of administrative rule making
-s.41 Inquiries Act 2005
-gives Lord Chancellor powers to make rules about inquiries
what are the 3 main things admin law is concerned with
-identifying legal powers to implement public policies
-circumscribing limits to the exercise of decision/rule making powers
-ensuring effective enforcement through legal and non-legal mechanisms
give 2 examples if key functions of admin kaw within a modern democratic state
-constrains (imposes limits on executive power which protects citizens from arbitrary decisions)
-facilitates (promotes responsible and good government to advance public interest fairly)
explain admin laws function of constraining
admin law imposes limits on executive power which protects citizens from arbitrary decisions)
explain admin laws function of facilitating
admin law promotes responsible and good government to advance public interest fairly, in good faith and increasingly in an open and transparent way
what is the golden rule of admin law
-gov and public authorities must have a legal authority to act (Entick v Carrington (1795)
what is the case where a gov/public authority acted without legal authority
-Entick v Carrington (1795)
what happened in Entick v Carrington (1795)
-E published materials criticising gov so Lord Halifax, a gov minister, issued warrant to search/arrest him
-court found this detention unlawful
what is at the core of admin law
-control of discretionary powers that implement public policy
give an example of a discretionary power
-s.1 Local Government Act 2000
-allows local authorities to do anything that promotes economic, social or environmental well-being in its area
what is s.1 Local Gov Act 2000
-allows local authorities to do anything that promotes economic, social or environmental well-being in its area
give 2 advantages of discretionary powers
-DPs are entirely necessary in modern regulatory state
-promote efficient, flexible and expert decision making
give 2 disadvantages of discretionary powers
-DPs open to potential abuse eg improper purposes or for personal gain
-Dicey argues “wherever there is discretion there is room for arbitrariness” in Law of the Constitution
who is critical of discretionary powers
-Dicey in Law of the Constitution
-“wherever there is discretion there is room for arbitrariness”
what are the 4 legal norms that are required of discretiinary powers to protect against arbitrariness
DPs must be:
-used for their intended/proper purposes
-not delegated to others
-exercised rationally and proportionately
-uphold minimum standards of procedural fairness
what is the source for the 4 requirements of discretionary powers
T. Bingham in rule of Law 2010
what does T. Bingham say in Rule of Law 2010
-ministers must use DPs “conferred on them in good faith, fairly, for the purposes in which the powers were conferred, without exceeding the limits of such powers and not unreasonably”
what are the 3 sources of admin law
-legislation
-common law
-soft law (guidance, directives etc)
how did admin law emerge
-out of the common law
give 2 examples of legislation as a source of admin law
-Human Rights Act 1998 s.6(1)
-Equality Act (2010) s.149