31 Jan 2023
LECTURE 1: introduction
Goofy = class dog
Max = class cat
What is administrative law?
● importance of the government
● Relation between pets and administrative law?
● Pets need to be chipped — gov determines details about it
○ Pets need to be registered in some way (legal/official forms)
○ Can concern public health issues
○ Multiple dimensions: 1) social aspect (dangers); 2) animal protection
○ Why might you need a licence?
○ What does a pet licence entail (rights/duties)?
■ Are the rights/duties the same for all pets — explained by gov codes
○ To whom (public authority) should you address your request?
○ What requirements do you and your dog (e.g. Vaccines) must fulfil?
○ How do you apply for a licence?
○ How much does the licence cost? How much time will it take to get a decision?
○ What do you do when the public authority denies your request?
○ To what court should you appeal? Do you need a lawyer?
○ FRANCE:
■ Goofy does not need a licence because it fits within the category of ‘pet’
■ But you still must comply with some rules: animal chipping, certificate of
fitness to own certain dogs (read ‘dangerous dogs’), certificate from
breeder
○ OTHER COUNTRIES:
■ THE NETHERLANDS:
● No licence but registration with chipping of pets
● Rule regarding breeding
■ BRAZIL
● No licence but registration on online platform sisbiccho,
identification with chipping
Administrative law in the Global context
● administrative law rules tend to be national
● However, there are many common concepts, procedures, and instruments (e.g. Goofy
has to be registered at the municipality in the 3 countries under analysis)
● There are a few influential administrative law systems (e.g. France, Germany) that can
help us identify these common elements
,FRENCH APPROACH
● body of rules that organises government and its public bodies
● The law that organises the public administration
GERMAN TRADITION
● administrative law — the body of rules that aims to protect citizens against the actions of
public authorities
● Administrative law limits administrative discretion (e.g. When getting scholarship - that it
will not go to the son of person in charge of it), that is, the ability to make decisions
within a certain leeway
US APPROACH
● administrative law refers mostly to federal agencies (local law will be the field that
regulates pet license/registrations,…)
● Body of law that allows creation of public regulatory agencies and contains all statutes,
judicial decisions, and regulations that govern them
BOOK DEFINITION
- ‘administrative law is understood as the law governing the relations between public
authorities (the administration or in simple terms ‘the government’) and private parties
(e.g. Citizens, firms)
What is the relationship between constitutional law and Administrative law?
● constitutional law defines the key rules of a democratic society, its political system (e.g.
How elections would take place, how many representatives in Parliament) the protection
of the rule of law and fundamental rights
● Ex: Many constitutions contain a provision stating that every citizen has the right to
health. In this case of COVID, this meant in many high-income countries that all citizens
that the right to receive a vaccine on equal terms
● But how should the administration of vaccines be done? Who should do it? Where?
● Administrative law builds on constitutional law → constitutional law is a house
and administrative law arranges the inside of the house
● Administrative law defines specific rules that allow for the further regulation of
constitutional law. It decides not only what public authority is competent to do something
but also how a public service should be conferred and under what conditions
Demonstrations: Extinction Rebellion last weekend
- clash between constitutional right to express your opinion and rules of criminal law &
endangering other peoples’ space - public space
- There is a right for demonstrations but you should inform municipality first
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
● constitutional law defines the fundamental right to demonstrate for the environment
, ● Administrative law defines specific rules: how should the police intervene in a specific
situation? What kind of administrative fines can be applied?
● Note that in some cases, demonstrations become violent and criminal law is applicable
DISCUSSION
- verfassungsrecht vergeht, Verwaltungsrecht besteht’ Otto Mayer, (very prominent)
Professor of German Administrative Law
- (Constitutional law changes, administrative law remains)
- Administrative law is more stable
- Constitutional law changes more often
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW IN THIS COURSE
● introduction to key administrative law concepts (e.g. Public body, administrative action,
standing)
● Overview of the most influential systems of administrative law around the world
● Administrative action and the principles of good administration
● Market regulation and the public/private divide
● Regulatory techniques
● Public/private law-based regulatory tools
● Public/private regulatory enforcement and compliance
● Judicial review and administrative litigation
● Global Administrative Law
Administrative law is changing (read Cassese’s article)
● ‘administrative law has lost its peculiarities (thus giving rise to the increasing difficulty in
defining its status and scope); it has become a hybrid, has been destabilised and
destructed, and is now in ruins’
○ What does this mean?
■ There are more other factors that influence on law (economics)
● Administrative law used to be limited to traditional public authorities (e.g. Ministries,
municipalities). Nowadays, this field of law also looks at the relationship between public
and private actors because of privatisation
● Administrative law used to be mainly national. But globalisation has changed this.
Think of the role of the WHO during the pandemic (coordination between the global,
national and local levels)
○ Multi-level effects
● New role for government and the state in general: Instead of top-down regulation, more
facilitative, steering roles
● Multi-level administration of global phenomena (e.g. Climate change, pandemic)
● Hybrid character of administrative law: public and private interactions
Areas that have been privatised
● schools
● Prisons
, ● Infrastructure
● Hospitals
What is bureaucracy & why does Administrative law need it?
Administrative law and bureaucracy
● administrative law cannot ‘live with and without bureaucracy’
○ What does this mean
● Eg. Kafka and bureaucratic disfunction: Castle
○ Video: What makes something ‘Kafkaesque’? → about frustrations
about bureaucracy
● Bureaucracy refers to the formal, rule-ridden procedure which determines how
administrative law is applied in practice
● Administrative law protects and regulates. It is concerned with public administrative
duties and the exercise of rights by citizens
● Bureaucracy should make it ‘easier’, more equal and transparent to administer the law
and public funds…but not always the case
● Underlying paradox:
○ Administrative law has 2 different goals:
1. Regulate & control: it aims on the one hand, to regulate the economy,
safeguard the public interest though control procedures >>>> B Procedural bureaucracy
needed here (e.g. eligibility requirements, rules to prevent fraud)
2. Protect citizens: it also protects the individual in their substantive and
procedural rights in their dealings with government
● Bureaucracy has a negative connotation → red tape
● Bureaucracy has been criticised for being obsolete, too procedural, and making the life
of citizens too hard
● Good bureaucracy: Simple, clear, and transparent requirements that allow for the
exercise of rights
● Red tape: burdensome rules that do not account for exceptions, too difficult to
understand, make it hard for citizens to exercise their rights
Next week → more complex cases
THE THERANOS CASE
● Who is Elizabeth Holmes? What did Theranos sell?
● Why is this case relevant to Administrative Law?
● What are the relevant public authorities?
CONCLUSION
● administrative law ⇒ the body of rules & principles that regulates
government-citizen interactions
● Administrative law regulates and organises the public administration BUT it also aims to
protect the citizens and their ability to exercise rights before government
LECTURE 1: introduction
Goofy = class dog
Max = class cat
What is administrative law?
● importance of the government
● Relation between pets and administrative law?
● Pets need to be chipped — gov determines details about it
○ Pets need to be registered in some way (legal/official forms)
○ Can concern public health issues
○ Multiple dimensions: 1) social aspect (dangers); 2) animal protection
○ Why might you need a licence?
○ What does a pet licence entail (rights/duties)?
■ Are the rights/duties the same for all pets — explained by gov codes
○ To whom (public authority) should you address your request?
○ What requirements do you and your dog (e.g. Vaccines) must fulfil?
○ How do you apply for a licence?
○ How much does the licence cost? How much time will it take to get a decision?
○ What do you do when the public authority denies your request?
○ To what court should you appeal? Do you need a lawyer?
○ FRANCE:
■ Goofy does not need a licence because it fits within the category of ‘pet’
■ But you still must comply with some rules: animal chipping, certificate of
fitness to own certain dogs (read ‘dangerous dogs’), certificate from
breeder
○ OTHER COUNTRIES:
■ THE NETHERLANDS:
● No licence but registration with chipping of pets
● Rule regarding breeding
■ BRAZIL
● No licence but registration on online platform sisbiccho,
identification with chipping
Administrative law in the Global context
● administrative law rules tend to be national
● However, there are many common concepts, procedures, and instruments (e.g. Goofy
has to be registered at the municipality in the 3 countries under analysis)
● There are a few influential administrative law systems (e.g. France, Germany) that can
help us identify these common elements
,FRENCH APPROACH
● body of rules that organises government and its public bodies
● The law that organises the public administration
GERMAN TRADITION
● administrative law — the body of rules that aims to protect citizens against the actions of
public authorities
● Administrative law limits administrative discretion (e.g. When getting scholarship - that it
will not go to the son of person in charge of it), that is, the ability to make decisions
within a certain leeway
US APPROACH
● administrative law refers mostly to federal agencies (local law will be the field that
regulates pet license/registrations,…)
● Body of law that allows creation of public regulatory agencies and contains all statutes,
judicial decisions, and regulations that govern them
BOOK DEFINITION
- ‘administrative law is understood as the law governing the relations between public
authorities (the administration or in simple terms ‘the government’) and private parties
(e.g. Citizens, firms)
What is the relationship between constitutional law and Administrative law?
● constitutional law defines the key rules of a democratic society, its political system (e.g.
How elections would take place, how many representatives in Parliament) the protection
of the rule of law and fundamental rights
● Ex: Many constitutions contain a provision stating that every citizen has the right to
health. In this case of COVID, this meant in many high-income countries that all citizens
that the right to receive a vaccine on equal terms
● But how should the administration of vaccines be done? Who should do it? Where?
● Administrative law builds on constitutional law → constitutional law is a house
and administrative law arranges the inside of the house
● Administrative law defines specific rules that allow for the further regulation of
constitutional law. It decides not only what public authority is competent to do something
but also how a public service should be conferred and under what conditions
Demonstrations: Extinction Rebellion last weekend
- clash between constitutional right to express your opinion and rules of criminal law &
endangering other peoples’ space - public space
- There is a right for demonstrations but you should inform municipality first
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW & ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
● constitutional law defines the fundamental right to demonstrate for the environment
, ● Administrative law defines specific rules: how should the police intervene in a specific
situation? What kind of administrative fines can be applied?
● Note that in some cases, demonstrations become violent and criminal law is applicable
DISCUSSION
- verfassungsrecht vergeht, Verwaltungsrecht besteht’ Otto Mayer, (very prominent)
Professor of German Administrative Law
- (Constitutional law changes, administrative law remains)
- Administrative law is more stable
- Constitutional law changes more often
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW IN THIS COURSE
● introduction to key administrative law concepts (e.g. Public body, administrative action,
standing)
● Overview of the most influential systems of administrative law around the world
● Administrative action and the principles of good administration
● Market regulation and the public/private divide
● Regulatory techniques
● Public/private law-based regulatory tools
● Public/private regulatory enforcement and compliance
● Judicial review and administrative litigation
● Global Administrative Law
Administrative law is changing (read Cassese’s article)
● ‘administrative law has lost its peculiarities (thus giving rise to the increasing difficulty in
defining its status and scope); it has become a hybrid, has been destabilised and
destructed, and is now in ruins’
○ What does this mean?
■ There are more other factors that influence on law (economics)
● Administrative law used to be limited to traditional public authorities (e.g. Ministries,
municipalities). Nowadays, this field of law also looks at the relationship between public
and private actors because of privatisation
● Administrative law used to be mainly national. But globalisation has changed this.
Think of the role of the WHO during the pandemic (coordination between the global,
national and local levels)
○ Multi-level effects
● New role for government and the state in general: Instead of top-down regulation, more
facilitative, steering roles
● Multi-level administration of global phenomena (e.g. Climate change, pandemic)
● Hybrid character of administrative law: public and private interactions
Areas that have been privatised
● schools
● Prisons
, ● Infrastructure
● Hospitals
What is bureaucracy & why does Administrative law need it?
Administrative law and bureaucracy
● administrative law cannot ‘live with and without bureaucracy’
○ What does this mean
● Eg. Kafka and bureaucratic disfunction: Castle
○ Video: What makes something ‘Kafkaesque’? → about frustrations
about bureaucracy
● Bureaucracy refers to the formal, rule-ridden procedure which determines how
administrative law is applied in practice
● Administrative law protects and regulates. It is concerned with public administrative
duties and the exercise of rights by citizens
● Bureaucracy should make it ‘easier’, more equal and transparent to administer the law
and public funds…but not always the case
● Underlying paradox:
○ Administrative law has 2 different goals:
1. Regulate & control: it aims on the one hand, to regulate the economy,
safeguard the public interest though control procedures >>>> B Procedural bureaucracy
needed here (e.g. eligibility requirements, rules to prevent fraud)
2. Protect citizens: it also protects the individual in their substantive and
procedural rights in their dealings with government
● Bureaucracy has a negative connotation → red tape
● Bureaucracy has been criticised for being obsolete, too procedural, and making the life
of citizens too hard
● Good bureaucracy: Simple, clear, and transparent requirements that allow for the
exercise of rights
● Red tape: burdensome rules that do not account for exceptions, too difficult to
understand, make it hard for citizens to exercise their rights
Next week → more complex cases
THE THERANOS CASE
● Who is Elizabeth Holmes? What did Theranos sell?
● Why is this case relevant to Administrative Law?
● What are the relevant public authorities?
CONCLUSION
● administrative law ⇒ the body of rules & principles that regulates
government-citizen interactions
● Administrative law regulates and organises the public administration BUT it also aims to
protect the citizens and their ability to exercise rights before government
