Comparative Administrative Law: An Introduction

Providing an overview of the history and methods of legal comparison as applied to the field, this topical book traces the origin, evolution and transformation of administrative law in various jurisdictions across the globe. It examines the tendencies of convergence as well as the preservation of distinctive traits within international legal systems.

Giulio Napolitano and Leonardo Parona explore the rise of a modern bureaucracy with special powers and safeguards in France and in Europe and its most recent achievements; the invention and the reformation of the Regulatory State in the United States; the hybrid system of public law used in South America; the constitutionalization and institutionalization process in Africa; the Chinese path towards rule of law; and the development of administrative law in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand. They combine both theoretical and practical approaches to the analysis of a wide array of legal topics, including public functions, delegations and outsourcing; administrative action such as adjudication, rulemaking and public contracts; and administrative litigation and judicial review.

An original and inspired guide to a wide range of legal issues central to administrative law, this book is an essential resource for students and scholars of comparative law, constitutional and administrative law, and regulation and governance.