Government Accountability offers an accessible introduction to administrative law in Australia by reference to its guiding principle, accountability.

Government Accountability: Australian Administrative Law Sources and Materials is a companion text to the second edition of Government Accountability: Australian Administrative Law. The casebook follows the structure of the textbook and provides a sophisticated and in-depth introduction to the principal areas of administrative law taught in Australia. Extracts from primary materials – including cases, legislation and judicial review – provide readers with an understanding of the key principles of administrative law and demonstrate how these mechanisms operate in practice. Case extracts provide a clear account of the facts, issues and statutory provisions considered by the courts. Extracts from secondary sources, including from parliamentary reports and publications by leading commentators in this field, further elucidate key concepts and controversies. Written by experts with substantial teaching and research experience, this is an essential text that will equip students with the tools to think critically and successfully apply the law to practice.

The second edition of Government Accountability: Australian Administrative Law offers an accessible and practical introduction to administrative law in Australia. The text introduces the legal principles that regulate the exercise of power by public authorities and explains the legal mechanisms that exist to remedy failures, with an emphasis on the overarching principle of accountability. Thoroughly revised and updated to incorporate recent changes to case law and legislation, this edition offers expanded, contemporary material on public investigatory bodies, information disclosure, administrative review tribunals, the limits on juridical review, and procedural fairness. Updated case examples throughout illustrate the practical operation of these principles and assist readers to connect theory with practice. Government Accountability provides readers with a concise introduction to the contexts, theory and application of administrative law and arms students with the knowledge and skills to successfully analyse and assess the decisions and actions of public authorities.

Modern Administrative Law provides an authoritative overview of administrative law in Australia. It clarifies and enlivens this crucial but complex area of law, with erudite analysis and thoroughly modern perspectives. The contributors - including highly respected academics from 11 Australian law schools,as well as eminent practitioners including Chief Justice Robert French AC and Justice Stephen Gageler of the High Court of Australia - are at the forefront of current research, debate and decision making, and infuse the book with unique insight. The book examines the structure and themes of administrative law, the theory and practice of judicial review, and the workings of administrative law beyond the courts. Administrative law affects innumerable aspects of political, commercial and private life, and yet is often considered difficult to understand. Modern Administrative Law unravels the intricacies and reveals how they are applied in real cases. It is an essential reference for students and practitioners of administrative law.

The growth of administrative law in Australia has continued in an unabated form since the introduction of innovative reforms in the mid-seventies. The centre plank of these reforms was the establishment of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with follow-on reforms relating to the Ombudsman, judicial review and freedom of information legislation. The impact of these reforms has been vast and significant. This 2007 book seeks to take stock of the growth and development of administrative law principles. Particular attention is paid to the important cases and key doctrines which provide the theoretical underpinnings of these principles. In this book a team of highly respected administrative law scholars and jurists aim to provide a lucid exposition of the relevant case law, principles and doctrines. The book should illuminate the fundamental features of Australian administrative law and should prove useful to students and practitioners interested in this field.

Government accountability is generally accepted to be an essential feature of modern democratic society; while others might turn a blind eye to corruption and wrongdoing, those who value accountability would instead shine a bright light on it. In this context, it is common to hear claims of accountability 'deficit' (a particular mechanism or area is lacking in accountability) and 'overload' (a particular mechanism or area over-delivers on accountability). Despite the frequency of references to these concepts, their precise content remains undeveloped. This book offers an explanation, as well as a framework for future exploration, of these concepts. It highlights the difficulty of defining a benchmark that might be used to measure the amount of accountability in a particular situation, and also the challenge of mapping out accountability mechanisms as a system. While difficult, if accountability is indeed a foundational concept underpinning our system of government, there is merit in meeting these challenges head-on.