Paradise of territoriality lost: rethinking extraterritoriality in administrative law

Abstract

Traditionally, the scholarship of administrative law has paid only very limited attention to the phaenomenon of extraterritoriality. Hereby, the scholarship has reflected the theoretical considerations concerning the sovereignty of the State, which have implied that administrative authorities execute their functions exclusively in the territory of the State. At the same time, the scholarship of international public law has traditionally acknowledged that – as based on a corresponding international agreement – a State may allow the administrative authorities of a foreign State to execute certain functions in its own territory. This article aims to reconcile these two approaches, demonstrating that the phaenomenon of extraterritoriality has emerged to represent an integral part of the system of administrative law in various jurisdictions. This article also argues that this perception of administrative law actually fails to represent any new feature, but is based on traditional concepts existing in the public law of Europe. Thus, extraterritoriality must be considered as a part of the ius publicum europaeum commune.