So that means the controller has absolved him/herself of responsibility right? if so, whats to stop a controller issuing a landing clearance to traffic at 10 miles?
Yes, he has - and nothing! I have frequently been cleared to land with four or five ahead in the USA. It is quite normal there. The final responsibility for the safety of the aircraft at landing is the captain's, not the air trafficker's. All he is saying is that there are no known reasons why you cannot land at the time the clearance is given.
Scroggs