Abstract
In Denmark, administrative decisions may be reviewed by the administration, by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, or by the judiciary. Characteristic of administrative review is the large number of sector-specific administrative boards of appeal that review administrative decisions across the public sector. A consequence of this characteristic is that administrative review is in practice the rule and judicial review the exception. The chapter analyzes data from three large national boards of appeal and concludes that when it comes to effectiveness, administrative review is on a par with judicial review. In contrast, the paper demonstrates an “effectiveness deficit” as regards the effectiveness of decisions made in first instance as all three boards overrule a large number of decisions. As regards ADR, no general framework has been introduced, but the existing legal framework does not preclude ADR techniques to be introduced in the administration. The chapter analyzes two situations where ADR has been introduced and calls for a thorough debate before such measures are introduced.
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Notes
- 1.
Christensen (1994), p. 321.
- 2.
See http://www.ankestyrelsen.dk/, http://www.nmkn.dk/, and http://www.landsskatteretten.dk/, respectively. Despite its name, the National Tax Tribunal is a board of appeal.
- 3.
Until the local government reform in 2007, the number of regions was 13 and the number of municipalities was 271. Following the reform, a number of tasks were transferred from the regions and the state to the municipalities.
- 4.
The present constitution dates back to 1953, but a number of the provisions dates back to 1849.
- 5.
Gøtze and Rytter (2000), pp. 525–44.
- 6.
Cf. Danish Law Weekly 1997.1157H (“Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen”).
- 7.
Act no. 1008 of 24 October 2012 as amended
- 8.
Act no. 473 of 12 June 1996 as amended.
- 9.
Christensen (1958).
- 10.
Royal Court and State Calendar 2012 (“Hof og Stat”).
- 11.
Bernt et al. (2002).
- 12.
Loiborg (2002), p. 913.
- 13.
Report no. 957 on the motivation of individual administrative acts and administrative appeal, 1972.
- 14.
Christensen (1994), p. 321.
- 15.
Revsbech (2009).
- 16.
Loiborg (2002), p. 915.
- 17.
Cf. s. 33 in Statutory Instrument no. 666 of 24 June 2012 regarding examination in higher education.
- 18.
Act no. 580 of 18 June 2012, which amended the 26 statutes that constitute the legal framework of the National Environmental Board of Appeal.
- 19.
Cf. Parliamentary Ombudsman opinion FOB 1997. 74.
- 20.
Cf. unprinted Parliamentary Ombudsman Decision J.nr. 1989-1107-220, reported in Loiborg (2002), p. 958.
- 21.
Loiborg (2002), p. 954.
- 22.
Christensen (1994), p. 321.
- 23.
See, for a critique of this casuistic approach, Norway, Statskonsult (2003).
- 24.
- 25.
Decision by Eastern High Court, 31 October 2007, Danish Law Weekly 2009.58 Ø (“Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen”).
- 26.
Revsbech (2009), p. 334.
- 27.
Bønsing (2013), p. 355.
- 28.
Statskonsult (2003).
- 29.
- 30.
Statskonsult (2003), pp. 13–15.
- 31.
For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that in Norway the principle of hierarchical appeal is founded in statute.
- 32.
National Social Appeals Board (2012c), internal contract 2013–2016, http://www.ast.dk/publikationer/ankestyrelsens_virksomhed/.
- 33.
Ministry of Taxation (2011), p. 5.
- 34.
Bill no. 212 amending the Tax Procedural Act and other Acts, introduced in Parliament 24 April 2013.
- 35.
- 36.
See note 35.
- 37.
See, for a detailed discussion of this argument, Adler (2010).
- 38.
National Social Appeals Board (2012a), Key Figures 2011. The total number of principled cases in 2011 was 499.
- 39.
Cf. Section 63 of Act no. 930 of 17 September 2012 on Legal Protection and Administration in Social Matters (Retsikkerhedsloven) (consolidated).
- 40.
National Social Appeals Board, Key Figures 2011.
- 41.
Environmental Board of Appeal (2012), Annual Report (2011).
- 42.
National Tax Tribunal Annual Report, 2011.
- 43.
See Special Eurobarometer 374 on Corruption, 2012.
- 44.
Wieslander (1994).
- 45.
Kucsko-Stadlemayer (2008). See [online] on Sweden: www.jo.se (Justitieombudsmannen), Finland: www.ombudsman.fi (Eduskunnan oikeusasiamies), Denmark: www.ombudsmanden (Folketingets Ombudsmand), and Norway: www.sivilombudsmannen.no (Stortingets sivilombudsman).
- 46.
The Danish Ombudsman (2005).
- 47.
The Ombudsman Act no. 203 of 11 June 1954 with subsequent amendments (Ombudsmandsloven).
- 48.
See General Administrative Procedures Act no. 473 of 12 June 1996, with subsequent amendments.
- 49.
See, on Ombudsman techniques in general, Buck et al. (2011), p. 91 et seq.
- 50.
Cp. Article 22 of the Ombudsman Act.
- 51.
Cp. Article 23 of the Ombudsman Act.
- 52.
Passemiers et al. (2009).
- 53.
See, for a similar view, Bragdø-Elleness (2009), p. 8.
- 54.
Act no. 706 of 25 June 2010 amending Act on complaints and compensation in the health care sector, Act on the authorization of health persons, the Health Care Act, and other Acts (“Lov om ændring af lov om klage-og erstatningsadgang inden for sundhedsvæsenet, lov om autorization af sundhedspersoner og om sundhedsfaglig virksomhed, sundhedsloven og andre love”).
- 55.
The national Agency for Patients’ Rights and Patients Complaints, Annual Report 2011, http://www.patientombuddet.dk/da/Publikationer/Aarsberetninger/2011.aspx.
- 56.
Conradsen (2012), pp. 48–61.
- 57.
- 58.
For the sake of completeness, it should be added that an additional 57 everyday complaints were recorded.
- 59.
See, e.g., Section 26, Subsection 2 of Act No. 1161 of 20 November 2011 on Procedures in expropriation (consolidated) (“Ekspropriationsprocesloven”) and Section 48, Subsection 1 of Act No. 175 of 23 February 2011 on Procedures in taxation (consolidated) (“Skatterforvaltningsloven”).
- 60.
Act no. 429 of 31 May 2000 on data protection as amended.
- 61.
Act no. 503 of 12 June 2009 amending the General Procedural Act and the Data Protection Act.
- 62.
Gøtze (2010), pp. 33–50.
- 63.
Wind et al. (2009), p. 63.
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Conradsen, I.M., Gøtze, M. (2014). Administrative Appeals and ADR in Danish Administrative Law. In: Dragos, D., Neamtu, B. (eds) Alternative Dispute Resolution in European Administrative Law. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-34946-1_5
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