Sources of Dynamism in Modern Administrative Law

Abstract

The list of recognised grounds of judicial review has remained constant in England and Wales for several decades. Modern administrative law may therefore appear to be characterised by high levels of stability or perhaps stagnancy. The essays in The Frontiers of Public Law are, however, an important reminder of three important sources of dynamism across modern administrative law. First, legislation can change regularly in this field, generating novel legal questions. Secondly, internal administrative practices are not static but evolving, creating questions about the adequacy of existing doctrinal structures. Thirdly, principles can emerge within sub-branches of judicial review, giving rise to questions about whether and how those same principles apply elsewhere. These sources of dynamism make modern administrative law ripe territory for novel and important legal issues.