Senior Courts Act 1981 Section 31

• Provides that the court shall not grant leave to a claimant to seek judicial review ‘unless it considers that the applicant has a sufficient interest in the matter to which the application relates’ (s 31(3)).

Civil Procedure Rules

• Part 3 (striking out)
• Part 24 (summary judgement)
• Part 40 (declaratory relief – 40.20)
• Part 44 (costs)
• Part 54 - Clarifies the judicial review procedure
• Defines a claim for judicial review
• Indicates the remedies available
• Outlines the need for permission
• Indicates the time limit
• Specifies procedures applying at the permission and substantive stages.

Local Government Act 1972 Section 222

• Establishes general access to court for local authorities.

Human Rights Act 1998

• Section 6 makes it unlawful for a public authority to act incompatibly with a Convention right (unless primary legislation requires it)
• Section 4 provides for declarations of incompatibility
• Section 7(1) imports the ‘victim’ test for standing to bring a claim or mount a defence under the Human Rights Act 1998
• Schedule 1 Part 1 indicates the relevant rights and freedoms of the European Convention on Human rights.

European Convention on Human Rights

• Article 34 indicates the ‘victim’ test of standing applicable before an individual can bring a claim to the European Court of Human Rights
• Article 36 provides the test for intervention in cases before the Court.

EC Treaty (‘Treaty of Rome’, Consolidated Version)

• Article 230 indicates the strict standing requirements applicable before non-privileged applicants (everyone except the institutions of the EC) can get the European Court of Justice to review the legality of an act of an EC body
• Article 234 outlines the preliminary reference procedure.