Making an appeal to the administrative court
A decision made by an authority usually always contains information about appealing against the decision. If this information is missing, you can get it from the authority that made the decision. Appeals against a decision of a municipal authority and administrative appeals are made to the administrative court.
You should make the appeal within 30 days after you were informed of the decision. This day is the seventh day after the decision was sent to you by post, or the third day after it was sent to you electronically. You must always make an appeal in writing. You can use your own words.
You should say
- which decision you want to appeal against
- which parts of the decision you want to change and what the changes are
- why you think the decision is against the law or its contents are wrong and any other justifications for your claims
- the grounds for your right to appeal if the decision in question does not concern you.
Include your name, mailing address, home municipality, telephone number and e-mail address, if you have one. If you make your appeal on paper, it must be signed by you or your agent. If you make your appeal electronically, you need not sign it.
You must attach to the appeal
- the decision that you are appealing against, either the original decision or a copy
- the date on which you were informed of the decision
- other documents related to your appeal.
If you are appealing on behalf of another person, you should attach to the appeal a power of attorney given by that person or other explanation of your right to act on behalf of that person, for example an extract from the register of guardianship matters. A solicitor or a public legal aid attorney does not usually need to show a power of attorney.
Submit the appeal to the registry of the Administrative Court by mail, email or fax. Alternatively, you can submit an appeal through the e-services of the administrative and special courts.
If the administrative court finds that the authority or body had acted wrongly or against the law, it may cancel the decision or send it back to the authority and ask them to make a new decision. You will be informed of the court’s decision in writing.
If the administrative court rejects your appeal, instructions for appealing against its decision are contained at the end of the decision. You can continue appealing to the Supreme Administrative Court.
If you think that a local government officer or an authority has acted against the law, you can also make a complaint.