The Irish Supreme Court on the Right to Reasons in Administrative Law

In his judgment in Meadows v. Minister for Justice, [2010] IESC 3, Murray C.J. suggested that a general right to reasons for administrative decisions should be recognized in Irish law. In its decision last week in Mallak v. Minister for Justice, [2012] IESC 59, the Irish Supreme Court did not quite go that far, but its observations on the issue are far-reaching and important. Unfortunately, its observations are also somewhat muddled.