Accountability, Government Decisions and Future Generations: Lessons from the Australian Ombudsman
Accountability is often proposed as the core justification for administrative law, and for the rigorous scrutiny and procedural constraints that body of law imposes on executive governments. The concept of accountability will also likely underpin proposals for new institutional arrangements focusing on the interests of future generations. This chapter provides an overview of administrative law scholarship on the concept of accountability, addressing the extent to which it can accommodate the interests of future generations. This chapter reviews the legal and institutional framework for the Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman, outlining three significant characteristics that have underpinned the evolution of this administrative law institution and its relative success at facilitating accountability. We argue that these characteristics could provide important lessons for the establishment of a new, adaptive and future-focused institution to promote long-term government accountability in a rapidly changing world.
History
Publication title
Giving Future Generations a Voice: Normative Frameworks, Institutions and PracticeEditors
J Linehan and P LawrencePagination
128-148ISBN
9781839108242Department/School
LawPublisher
Edward Elgar PublishingPublication status
- Published