Public law tends to examine relationships between individuals and the government, in the matters of wider public interest. Although this is not true in every case, most people assume that public law issues always lead to applications for judicial review and assessment by the High Court.

What is Judicial Review?

A claim for Judicial Review is the legal process of having the Court make a decision as to the lawfulness of a public body policy, act or omission. Judicial Review is the main tool which enables individuals to hold the government and public bodies to account.

You may have been the subject of a public-body decision which is flawed. Public bodies have a duty to make sure that any decision they take is rational, lawful and procedurally fair. If these duties have not been complied with, you may be able to challenge the decision of the body who made the decision with a Judicial Review claim.

This process is wide-ranging and allows individuals to challenge the decisions of all bodies that exercise a public law function, including:

• Central Government Departments
• The Police and CPS
• Coroners
• Prisons, the Probation Service and the Parole Board
• The Independent Police Complaints Commission
• Local Authorities and Social Services
• NHS trusts