One of the most significant constitutional developments of the past century has been the creation and proliferation of O'administrative tribunals' the main function of which is to adjudicate disputes between citizens and the state by reviewing decisions of government agencies - a task also performed by courts in 'judicial review' proceedings and appeals. Tribunals in aggregate adjudicate many more such disputes than courts, but have received relatively little scholarly attention. This book compares tribunals in Australia, the UK and the US. It 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.