Administrative Procedure and Judicial Review in Belgium

This chapter evaluates administrative procedure and judicial review in Belgium. The Belgian Constitution embodies, in particular, two constitutional provisions for the judicial oversight of unilateral administrative measures. A Council of State was established pursuant to Article 160 of the Constitution. Under the Act adopted on the basis of this provision, the Council of State is responsible for judicial review, on condition that such review has not been attributed to another ordinary or administrative court. Moreover, Article 159 requires judges not to apply any unilateral administrative measure that would be unlawful in the context of a dispute that they are called upon to settle. All unilateral administrative provisions, whether regulatory or individual, may be reviewed. A procedural error does not necessarily lead to the censure of the unilateral administrative provision in question. However, the breach of a requirement that the administration has to fulfil leads not only to the censure of the provision but can, as the case may be, give rise to compensation.