Judicial review: challenging public authority decisions

This legal guide explains what judicial review is as well as its potential uses and limits.

Judicial review is the procedure by which decisions of a public body can be challenged in court. The court will not generally interfere with the “merits” of a decision; it will not just substitute its own particular opinion for that of the public body. Instead, it will be able to overturn a public body’s decision if that decision was unlawful or unreasonable.

This legal guide prepared for A4ID, taken from a presentation, clarifies when and how government decisions can be challenged using judicial review and the possible outcomes.

Judicial review- challenging public authority decisions