In the UK during the past decade, individuals and groups have increasingly tested the extent to which principles of English administrative law can be used to gain entitlements to health and welfare services and priority for the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. One of the primary purposes of this book is to demonstrate the extent to which established boundaries of judicial intervention in socio-economic disputes have been altered by the extension of judicial powers in sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, and through the development of a jurisprudence of positive obligations in the European Convention on Human Rights 1950. The substantive focus of the book is on developments in the constitutional law of the UK but the book also addresses key issues of theoretical human rights and international and comparative constitutional law.

This paperback version includes a new preface by Ellie Palmer.

"...much more than a factual exposition of the recent case law...an interesting and educational read which will undoubtedly deepen the reader's understanding of the complexities and trends in this fascinating and continually developing area of law."
Samantha Broadfoot, Judicial Review

"a well written, accessible and fascinating insight into the development of socio-economic rights and a welcome contribution to an important debate."
Les Allamby, Frontline