This volume is the only book which focuses on the impact of judicial review in the social welfare field. It comprises a selection of essays by academics and practitioners who have an interest in the operation, impact and future development of judicial review in a number of social welfare areas: homelessness, housing benefit, mental health, health care, social security, the discretionary social fund, immigration, prisoners, education and gypsy site provision. Two contributions address issues relating to the supervisory jurisdiction in the Scottish Court of Session and the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland.

Each contributor outlines the background and development of judicial review in their particular field followed by commentary on the operation of the judicial review remedy and various theoretical and practical concerns such as the impact of judicial review on organizational behaviour and its effect on the exercise of discretionary powers. The essays deal with the political and policy context of judicial review challenge, and the shifting balance of advantage offered to social welfare campaigners. The limitations of judicial review and the comparative merits of statutory appellate schemes are also examined. The contributors attempt to identify future areas for research and a concluding chapter draws together the common themes.

The statutory duty of public service ombudsmen (PSO) is to investigate claims of injustice caused by maladministration in the provision of public services. This book examines the modern role of the ombudsman within the overall emerging system of administrative justice and makes recommendations as to how PSO should optimize their potential within the wider administrative justice context. Recent developments are discussed and long standing questions that have yet to be adequately resolved in the ombudsman community are re-evaluated given broader changes in the administrative justice sector. The work balances theory and empirical research conducted in a number of common law countries. Although there has been much debate within the ombudsman community in recent years aimed at developing and improving the practice of ombudsmanry, this work represents a significant advance on current academic understanding of the discipline.

The statutory duty of public service ombudsmen (PSO) is to investigate claims of injustice caused by maladministration in the provision of public services. This book examines the modern role of the ombudsman within the overall emerging system of administrative justice and makes recommendations as to how PSO should optimize their potential within the wider administrative justice context. Recent developments are discussed and long standing questions that have yet to be adequately resolved in the ombudsman community are re-evaluated given broader changes in the administrative justice sector. The work balances theory and empirical research conducted in a number of common law countries. Although there has been much debate within the ombudsman community in recent years aimed at developing and improving the practice of ombudsmanry, this work represents a significant advance on current academic understanding of the discipline.

The social fund has been a controversial instrument of social policy in the UK since its introduction in 1988. This book brings together new research and debate on the role and effect of the social fund in relieving poverty, and introduces evidence from the wider European field to allow comparison to be made with other countries' experience of providing a 'safety net' for their poorest citizens. This book opens up for wider discussion the question of how to provide help for disadvantaged groups and individuals at times of financial crisis. Addressing practical questions about how such schemes work (or fail to work) effectively, the book also provides the basis for more general consideration of the overall objectives which they are expected to meet. This will contribute to new thinking about the policy goals of the social fund and other emergency payment schemes, and their role in meeting broader aspirations such as cohesion, inclusion and social justice.