Administrative disputes
Disputes with the authorities: administrative courts, requests, public information
When a decision is made by the state — the tax authority, a recruitment centre, the city council, the Pension Fund, a competition commission for a post — it can be challenged in the administrative court. An important rule applies: it is for the authority to prove that its decision was lawful, not for you. We handle these cases from the first request to the court's judgment.
What we do
- Challenging decisions, actions and inaction of state and local authorities in the administrative courts.
- Lawyer's requests — obtaining documents and explanations from the authorities; the answer is due within five working days.
- Access to public information — requests and challenges to refusals.
- Public service disputes — competitions for posts, dismissals, disciplinary decisions concerning civil servants.
- Pensions and social benefits — challenging refusals and wrong calculations.
The time limit most often missed
The general time limit for going to the administrative court is six months from the day you learned or should have learned that your right was violated. For certain categories — tax, social, public service — the law sets shorter limits. So a decision by an authority is worth showing to a lawyer straight away, not when you "get round to it".
Worth reading
"Oberih": correcting the register through the court
An example of an administrative dispute with a recruitment centre — from request to claim.
Challenging a medical board
What the administrative court reviews, and what it will not change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to complain to a higher authority first?
As a rule, no: a decision can be challenged in court straight away. But a pre-trial complaint is sometimes useful — it produces one more document with the authority's position. Where the law requires a pre-trial procedure, the time limit for going to court is counted differently.
What if the authority does not answer a request?
Failing to answer a lawyer's request or a request for public information is a violation that carries liability. The authority's inaction can be challenged in court.
Who has to prove things in court — me or the authority?
In administrative proceedings the burden of proving that a decision was lawful lies with the authority. The claimant has to show that the decision affects their rights and provide whatever evidence they have.
Received a decision by an authority you disagree with?
Send it to us — we will count the time limit for a challenge and tell you what you can expect.