The Comptroller-General in the regulatory process

Abstract

This paper examines the channels of communication between the Comptroller-General and public officials in the central government in the ex-ante legality review of administrative rulemaking. In fact, drawing on studies about the impact of legal accountability machinery, this study assesses the influence of the institution on bureaucratic behaviour. Based on interviews with key actors in these processes, the paper discusses a number of functions that the Comptroller-General is performing through its power of ex-ante legal scrutiny, such as promoting deliberation, facilitating coordination within the executive branch, preventing litigiousness, among others.