Independent Review of Administrative Law: Call for Evidence

ClientEarth's submission to the Independent Review of Administrative Law (IRAL) emphasizes the constitutional importance of judicial review as a check on executive power and a tool for environmental protection. The organization argues that there is no evidence of a systemic imbalance in the current system and warns that hasty reforms could undermine the rule of law and the UK's obligations under the Aarhus Convention. Key recommendations include extending time limits for planning cases, introducing one-way costs shifting for public interest claims, and expanding the scope of available remedies to include the modification of decisions.

• Judicial review is a critical constitutional mechanism that ensures government and public authorities act lawfully and provides an independent check on executive power, often influencing decision-making before a challenge is even filed.
• ClientEarth argues that the IRAL has not established a factual imbalance between the rights of citizens to challenge government action and the needs of the executive to govern, suggesting that any perceived problems may stem from the quality of executive decision-making rather than the judicial review process itself.
• The document strongly opposes the codification of public law grounds into statute, arguing it would be too complex to draft accessibly and would risk stagnating the law by preventing the common law from evolving to meet new challenges.

APA

ClientEarth (2020). Independent Review of Administrative Law: Call for Evidence. https://www.clientearth.org/media/tv1opkav/2020-10-30-independent-review-of-administrative-law-call-for-evidence-clientearth-submission-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Independent Review of Administrative Law: Call for Evidence. 2020. https://www.clientearth.org/media/tv1opkav/2020-10-30-independent-review-of-administrative-law-call-for-evidence-clientearth-submission-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Independent Review of Administrative Law: Call for Evidence |date=October 2020 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/tv1opkav/2020-10-30-independent-review-of-administrative-law-call-for-evidence-clientearth-submission-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2020independent, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Independent Review of Administrative Law: Call for Evidence}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/tv1opkav/2020-10-30-independent-review-of-administrative-law-call-for-evidence-clientearth-submission-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }