“Administrative law is the law concerning the powers and procedures of administrative agencies, including especially the law governing judicial review of administrative action.” This definition was given by:

Question

“The question can also be considered from another point of view. Supposing the police send a report viz. a charge-sheet, under Section 170 of the Code. As we have already pointed out, the Magistrate is not bound to accept that report, when he considers the matter judicially. But can he differ from the police and call upon them to submit a final report, under Section 169? In our opinion, the Magistrate has no such power. If he has no such power, in law, it also follows that the Magistrate has no power to direct the police to submit a charge-sheet, when the police have submitted a final report that no case is made out for sending the accused for trial. The functions of the Magistracy and the police, are entirely different, and though, in the circumstances mentioned earlier, the Magistrate may or may not accept the report, and take suitable action, according to law, he cannot certainly infringe upon the jurisdiction of the police, by compelling them to change their opinion, so as to accord with his view. Therefore, to conclude, there is no power, expressly or impliedly conferred, under the Code, on a Magistrate to call upon the police to submit a charge-sheet, when they have sent a report under Section 169 of the Code, that there is no case made out for sending up an accused for trial.”
[Extracted from Abhinandan Jha v. Dinesh Mishra, (1967) 3 SCR 668, para 19-20].

Answer 1

Different scholars have approached administrative law from different angles, some from a rule-of-law perspective, some from a control perspective, and identifying the right one means matching the quoted emphasis to the right thinker.

A.V. Dicey: Dicey's rule of law approach actually doubted the need for a separate administrative law and stressed that officials should be subject to the ordinary law and ordinary courts like anyone else; this does not match a definition built around agency powers and judicial review.
Ivor Jennings: Jennings offered a broader definition centred on public administration generally, without the specific agency-and-judicial-review emphasis found in the quote.
H.W.R. Wade: Wade's approach emphasises control of administrative power and fair procedure, phrased differently from the specific "powers and procedures... judicial review" wording quoted here.
K.C. Davis: Davis's definition is built exactly around the powers and procedures of administrative agencies and, in particular, the law governing judicial review of administrative action, which is the precise language and focus used in the quoted definition.

Matching the specific emphasis on agencies and judicial review to its actual source points to Davis.

\[ \boxed{\text{K.C. Davis}} \]

Answer 2

Since this is a case of matching a direct quotation to its author, it helps to note the distinctive phrase "judicial review of administrative action" and ask which scholar built his definition around exactly that idea.

Option (A) - Ivor Jennings: Known for a wide definition of administrative law tied to the working of public administration in general, without singling out judicial review as the defining feature.
Option (B) - H.W.R. Wade: Known for treating administrative law as concerned with the control of governmental power, a related but differently phrased emphasis than the quote's specific reference to judicial review.
Option (C) - A.V. Dicey: Known for a rule-of-law-centred view that resisted treating administrative law as a distinct branch reviewed separately from ordinary law, making this definition's agency-and-review framing foreign to his approach.
Option (D) - K.C. Davis: Known specifically for defining administrative law by reference to the powers and procedures of agencies and the judicial review of their action, which is the exact structure and phrasing reflected in the quoted definition.

The distinctive reference to judicial review of administrative action as part of the very definition points to Davis as its author.

Hence, the correct answer is K.C. Davis.

Answer 3

Since this is a case of matching a direct quotation to its author, it helps to note the distinctive phrase "judicial review of administrative action" and ask which scholar built his definition around exactly that idea.

Option (A) - Ivor Jennings: Known for a wide definition of administrative law tied to the working of public administration in general, without singling out judicial review as the defining feature.
Option (B) - H.W.R. Wade: Known for treating administrative law as concerned with the control of governmental power, a related but differently phrased emphasis than the quote's specific reference to judicial review.
Option (C) - A.V. Dicey: Known for a rule-of-law-centred view that resisted treating administrative law as a distinct branch reviewed separately from ordinary law, making this definition's agency-and-review framing foreign to his approach.
Option (D) - K.C. Davis: Known specifically for defining administrative law by reference to the powers and procedures of agencies and the judicial review of their action, which is the exact structure and phrasing reflected in the quoted definition.

The distinctive reference to judicial review of administrative action as part of the very definition points to Davis as its author.

Hence, the correct answer is K.C. Davis.

“Administrative law is the law concerning the powers and procedures of administrative agencies, including especially the law governing judicial review of administrative action.” This definition was given by:

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The Correct Option is D

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