Introduction: The development of Global Administrative Law

The structure of this Handbook follows a specific order, which gradually shifts from a ‘horizontal’ to a ‘vertical’ perspective. According to the former, the Handbook considers the growth of ‘global administrations’ (Chapters 1–5), their interactions through the creation of ‘global networks’ (Chapters 6 and 7), the emergence of a ‘global administrative process’ (Chapters 8–11), and the development of the rule of law and democratic principles at global level (Chapters 12–16). From the latter, the relations between global law and other legal orders are examined, with particular attention being paid to regional systems (the EU, the Global South, and the global law of development – Chapters 17–19) as well as national orders (Chapters 20–23). The final section, devoted to the emergence of a ‘global legal culture’, closes the circle by recognizing the growth of an epistemic community at the global level (Chapters 24–26).