European methods of administrative law redress: Netherlands, Norway and Germany

This report examines the profile of administrative law remedies in the Netherlands, Norway and Germany and makes some observations about the activities of regional European institutions in this field. For each jurisdiction the report provides an overview of the administrative law system and court structure, an outline of the ombudsmen schemes and the significant developments in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The government’s recent White Paper, Transforming Public Services: Complaints, Redress and Tribunals, has presented some new ideas about how to proceed with the key tasks of preventing and resolving disputes in administrative justice. This report provides an opportunity to reflect on some of the European approaches that may be able to shed some light on the direction and management of such reforms.