Administrative Law in Hong Kong
Cambridge University Press, 2018
420 pages, ISBN 978-1108400329
Foreword by Hon. Andrew Li, first Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal
The new, leading text on administrative law in Hong Kong.
Reviews
‘The scholarship displayed in this work is of the highest quality. It is an authoritative text on administrative law in Hong Kong and makes a most important contribution to the learning in this field. It will provide invaluable guidance and assistance to judges, lawyers, public administrators, academics and students. This work will be a leading text and deserves to be widely read and used both in and outside Hong Kong.’
— Hon. Andrew Li, first Chief Justice of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal
‘This closely focussed and precise account of administrative law in Hong Kong will prove very useful to the student approaching examinations, or the practitioner wrestling with a difficult judicial review. Well and clearly written, this book will surely make its mark. Dr Thomson deserves the gratitude of the profession.’
— Prof. Christopher F. Forsyth, Sir David Williams Professor of Public Law, University of Cambridge
‘A very welcome addition to the few books that deal with administrative law in Hong Kong. The author has produced a very readable guide to an area of law that is crucial to the maintenance of the rule of law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Especially welcome is the author’s attempt to locate the significance of administrative law within the unique constitutional structure of the HKSAR, including descriptions of the major public bodies that make decisions that resonate in public law.’
— Philip Dykes SC, Bernacchi Chambers, Hong Kong
‘Dr Stephen Thomson masterfully navigates the reader through these difficult waters with a writing style that displays passion and clarity in equal measure… The chapter on fettering discretion is standout; a must read for any public official involved in preparing guidelines and policies… In Administrative Law in Hong Kong, Dr Thomson has produced a welcome and practical addition to a complex but vital legal subject. His book deserves a place on the desk of all officials working in public authorities.’
— Peter Gregoire, General Counsel, Insurance Authority of Hong Kong
Cited by the High Court of the Hong Kong SAR (Sime Darby Motor Services Ltd v Director of Lands [2022] HKCFI 2809).
The Nobile Officium
Avizandum, 2015
300 pages, ISBN 978-1904968337
Foreword by Rt. Hon. The Lord Hope of Craighead, first Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court
‘[A] work of real scholarship, which makes a significant contribution to the literature on Scots law’
— Rt. Hon. The Lord Hope of Craighead, Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court (2009-2013)
‘[W]e have obtained great assistance from… Stephen Thomson’s work, The Nobile Officium, the first monograph to be published on the subject’
— Lord Drummond Young (in Cumbria County Council, Petitioners [2016] CSIH 92)
‘Stephen Thomson has done much to promote understanding of this jurisdiction… [H]e writes with admirable clarity and precision’
— Prof. J.D. Ford, University of Aberdeen
‘[T]he author structured a book around concepts which make the understanding of the equitable jurisdiction more straightforward but, more importantly perhaps, easier for the practitioner to navigate its practical application… [I]f it is to be found, then one will assuredly find it referenced in this authoritative text.’
— David J. Dickson, Solicitor-Advocate
Cited by the Inner House of the Court of Session (supreme civil court in Scotland) (Cumbria County Council, Petitioners [2016] CSIH 92; and Prior v The Scottish Ministers [2020] CSIH 36), the Scottish Land Court (Grains v Gifford’s Executors, 2016 GWD 31-552) and the High Court of Justice in England and Wales (M v Salford City Council [2019] EWHC 1510 (Fam)).
Administrative Law Reissue (The Laws of Scotland: The Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia)
LexisNexis, 2023
260 pages
Co-authored with Denis Edwards.
Administrative Tribunals in the Common Law World
Hart Publishing, October 2024
Edited by Stephen Thomson, Matthew Groves and Greg Weeks. Foreword by The Rt. Hon. Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill.
Administrative tribunals are a vital part of the public law frameworks of many countries. This is the 1st edited book collection to examine tribunals across the common law world. It brings together key international scholars to discuss current and future challenges.
The book features leading scholars from all major common law jurisdictions – the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and South Africa. This global analysis is both deep and expansive in its coverage of the operation of administrative tribunals across common law legal systems. The book has two key themes: one is the enduring question of the location and operation of tribunals within public law systems; the second is the continued mission of tribunals to provide administrative justice.
The collection is an important addition to global public law scholarship, addressing common problems faced by the tribunals of common law countries, and providing solutions for how tribunals can evolve to match the changing nature of government.