“The Central concern of Administrative Law has been the legal limitation of administrative discretion.” Give reasons.

Answer: The central concern of administrative law has indeed been the legal limitation of administrative discretion. Administrative discretion refers to the authority given to administrative agencies and officials to make decisions and take actions within the scope of their delegated powers. However, there are several reasons why administrative law focuses on imposing legal limitations on this discretion:

• Rule of Law: The principle of the rule of law is fundamental to administrative law. It holds that all exercise of public power, including administrative power, must be subject to legal constraints. Limiting administrative discretion through legal standards and
  principles helps ensure that decisions are made in accordance with the law and not arbitrarily or based on personal biases.
• Preventing abuse of power: Administrative discretion, if unchecked, can lead to the abuse of power by administrative agencies and officials. Legal limitations help prevent arbitrary or unfair decision-making, protect individual rights and interests, and guard
  against corruption, favoritism, or other forms of misuse of administrative authority.
• Ensuring fairness and equality: Legal limitations on administrative discretion aim to ensure fairness and equality in the treatment of individuals by administrative agencies. By defining standards and procedures, administrative law seeks to prevent unjustifiable disparities and ensure that similar cases are treated similarly, promoting consistency and transparency in decision-making.
• Protection of individual rights: Administrative discretion can significantly impact the rights and interests of individuals. Legal limitations ensure that administrative decisions are made within the boundaries set by fundamental rights, such as due process, privacy,
  equality, and non-discrimination. This helps safeguard individual rights against arbitrary or excessive interference by administrative authorities.
• Accountability and transparency: Limiting administrative discretion through legal standards facilitates accountability and transparency. It enables individuals affected by administrative decisions to understand the legal basis for those decisions, challenge them if necessary, and seek remedies through avenues such as administrative appeals or judicial review. Legal limitations promote accountability by subjecting administrative actions to scrutiny and review.

• Balancing administrative efficiency with legal constraints: While administrative efficiency is important, legal limitations ensure that administrative agencies and officials do not prioritize efficiency at the expense of legality and fairness. By striking a balance between efficiency and legal constraints, administrative law ensures that administrative decisions are both effective and lawful.
  In summary, the legal limitation of administrative discretion is a central concern of administrative law to uphold the principles of the rule of law, prevent abuse of power, ensure fairness and equality, protect individual rights, promote accountability and transparency, and
  provide predictability and legal certainty.
  By imposing legal constraints, administrative law seeks to strike a balance between administrative flexibility and the need to protect the rights and interests of individuals and maintain the integrity of the administrative process.

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