Administrative Law Matters

Commentary on developments in administrative law, particularly judicial review of administrative action by common law courts.

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The Administration of Justice in Administrative Tribunals: Zalewski v. Adjudication Office [2021] IESC 24 (Article 34.1)

See my introductory note here. The settled approach to Article 34.1 was set out in McDonald v. Bord na gCon [1965] I.R. 217, where Kenny J elaborated a set of criteria for determining whether a body is administering justice. (i.)               a dispute or controversy as to the existence of legal rights or a violation of […] Read more

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Context, Reasonableness Review and Statutory Interpretation: Mason v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 SCC 21

After a hiatus of nearly four years, the Supreme Court of Canada yesterday applied the reasonableness standard for the first time since Vavilov and the companion case of Canada Post. The decision in Mason v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2023 SCC 21 (Jamal J for the majority; Côté J concurring) is significant as far as […] Read more

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Notwithstanding Administrative Law?

The ‘notwithstanding’ clause of the Constitution of Canada (contained in s. 33 of the Constitution Act, 1982) provides as follows:  33 (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a […] Read more