>Just passing UserId and ItemId. Get back only the lowest restriction found for the Roles assigned to the user (no RoleItems entry for the Item in question implies no restriction)

Viv,

This better ?

declare @User table (u_id  Int, u_name varchar(20))
insert into @User
select  1, 'Viv'
union
select 2, 'Joe'

declare @Role table ( r_Id	int, r_name	varchar(20)
	  )
insert into @Role
select 1, 'Admin'
union 
select 2, 'User'

/* Put Viv in both Admin and User Roles */
declare @UserRoles table (ur_UserId int, ur_RoleId int)
insert into @UserRoles
select 1,1
union
select 1,2

declare @Items table (i_Id int)
insert into @Items
select 1

/* Restrict User role in Item 1 */
declare @RoleItems table (ri_RoleId int, ri_ItemId int, ri_Restriction int)
insert into @RoleItems
select 2,1,2


declare @theUser int
set @theUser = 1

declare @theItem int
set @theItem = 1


declare @Restriction int
set @Restriction = null  /* not sure this is needed */

select @Restriction  = 
		min(isnull(ri_Restriction, 0))
	from @UserRoles 
		left join @RoleItems 
		    on (ur_RoleId = ri_RoleId )
			and (ri_ItemId = @theItem )
		where ( ur_UserId = @theUser) 




select @Restriction  /* 0 for theUser = 1, null for theUser = 2 */