In a recent survey of discretionary decision making in the criminal justice system, Samuel Walker argued that discretion was “discovered” only in 1956, and that once discovered there were cries for its abolition. Walker's point, as the quotation from Rowan and Mayne makes clear, was not that discretion did not previously exist, but that researchers into the criminal justice system had not taken account of its impact on decisions made within that sphere. Once it was seen how great was the impact of discretionary decision making on outcomes, there were calls for its abolition. The calls, it turned out, could not be heeded, and in any case were hardly justified. But significant steps were taken to control the way in which it was used.

The exercise of discretion is often said to be central to professional decision making.