Assessing the Status of Administrative Law

Administrative law is increasingly emphasized in rule of law programming, but the assessment of administrative legal machinery is a relatively new area of study. This subject is complicated by the fact that there is a wide variation among major legal systems in their approaches to, and formulations of, administrative law. Nevertheless, various international organizations have begun to formulate generic principles and guidance on the topic, and this emerging body of material displays a significant degree of agreement on basic areas of focus and concern. Consequently, these principles and guidance constitute an appropriate starting point for designing and implementing an assessment tool for capturing a picture of the key features of a particular jurisdiction’s administrative legal system, as well as identifying potential strengths and weaknesses.