The Future of Administrative Justice

Abstract

This chapter considers the future of administrative justice. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, it argues that the rise and fall of administrative justice can be likened to the swing of a pendulum. It considers first-instance decision-making, the role of outsourcing, the expanding role of administrative review and its implications for administrative justice, the decline of tribunals and the rise of ombudsmen, the effectiveness of oversight arrangements, and the impact of digitalisation. It concludes that the future of administrative justice in the United Kingdom is unlikely to involve a replay of anything that has been encountered in the past.