Among the many constitutional developments of the past century or so, one of the most significant has been the creation and proliferation of institutions that perform functions similar to those performed by courts but which are considered to be, and in some ways are, different and distinct from courts as traditionally conceived. In much of the common law world, such institutions are called 'administrative tribunals'. Their main function is to adjudicate disputes between citizens and the state by reviewing decisions of government agencies - a function also performed by courts in 'judicial review' proceedings and appeals. Although tribunals in aggregate adjudicate many more such disputes than courts, tribunals and their role as dispensers of 'administrative justice' receive relatively little scholarly attention. This wide-ranging book-length treatment of the subject compares tribunals in three major jurisdictions: Australia the UK and the US. It analyses and offers an account of the concept of 'administrative adjudication', and traces its historical development from the earliest periods of the common law to the twenty-first century. There are chapters dealing with the design of tribunals and tribunal systems and with what tribunals do, what they are for and how they interact with their users. The book ends with a discussion of the place of tribunals in the 'administrative justice system' and speculation about possible future developments. Administrative Tribunals and Adjudication fills a significant gap in the literature and will be of great value to public lawyers and others interested in government accountability.

Revised papers presented at the International Conference on Administrative Justice held in Bristol in 1997, reflect on developments in the field in the last 40 years and discuss options for the future. Contributors include policy makers, tribunal chairs and ombudsmen, and academics. The idea of administrative justice, central to the British system of public law, embraces the mechanisms aimed at balance in the exercise of public power. Among the themes addressed: the effect of the changing nature of the state on current institutions; human rights; the relationship between reviews of decisions and the adjudication of appeals; and international comparisons with the British system of administrative justice. Distributed by ISBS. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Tribunals are a flexible method of adjudication that hear disputes between citizens and by citizens against government. They come in diverse forms, and their adjudications far outnumber those of courts. For most people, tribunals are the face of justice. Increasing attention is being paid to tribunal procedures, what decisions they can make, and who are appointed as tribunal members. This book provides a contemporary snapshot of tribunals and tribunal jurisprudence in the common law world, with contributions and comparative studies from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Contributions are drawn from a distinguished cast of international tribunal experts, judges and practitioners.