William A. Robson and the making of English administrative law

This article examines the role of William A. Robson (1895‐1980) in the making of English administrative law. Criticising English common lawyers who believed that the growing responsibility of officials in law‐making and dispute resolution was a symptom of ‘administrative lawlessness’ that was sapping the foundations of English liberties, Robson argued that lawyers must seek to understand forces giving rise to these practices and then work to ensure that this growing body of administrative law might function efficiently and equitably. Explaining the social philosophy that underpinned his legal method, the article reviews the remarkable range of Robson's work, indicates the breath of its ambition and assesses his achievements in shaping the legal foundations of the emerging welfare state. Only through this systematic appraisal of Robson's account of administrative law as the law of public administration, it is argued, can more recent developments in administrative practice and judicial review be set in an appropriate context.