International economic law and comparative administrative law

This chapter explores the intersection of administrative law and international economic law (’IEL’), focusing on the emergence of comparative administrative law (‘CAL’) as a critical tool for interpreting and reforming IEL. It traces the evolution of global administrative law and the redefinition of IEL as an administrative regime governing cross-border economic activity. The chapter argues that IEL is currently undergoing a process of devolution, marked by the resurgence of domestic administrative law. It then highlights CAL's dual role in IEL: as an interpretative tool used by adjudicators to interpret principles like fair and equitable treatment, and as an institutional framework to reimagine IEL through domestic insights. By analyzing global, comparative, and domestic administrative law, the chapter argues that CAL not only interprets but also reforms IEL. CAL emerges as a vehicle for legitimacy and accountability as well as a method of resistance to the centralizing tendencies of IEL. The chapter concludes by suggesting that CAL can reshape IEL in a manner responsive to diverse domestic legal and institutional contexts.