Legality review of municipal decisions – Appeals, notices & Excel | Word/PDF

Judicial review of municipal decisions – document template according to Chapter 13 of the Local Government Act. For municipal and regional members who wish to request that the Administrative Court review the legality of a municipal or regional decision. The template package helps you identify the appealed decision, check membership and decision type, state the four grounds for judicial review, document the public notice, and submit the appeal to the correct court. Delivered in editable Word, searchable PDF, and Excel.

Important distinction before purchase: The package applies to judicial review under the Local Government Act. It does not apply to standard administrative appeals, building permits, social services, or other decisions subject to special appeal procedures. The court may annul a decision on legal grounds but cannot replace it with a new municipal decision.

Who can use the template package?

Anyone who is a member of a municipality or region under Chapter 1, Sections 5–6 of the Local Government Act and wishes to appeal a decision subject to judicial review under Chapter 13. It is normally not required that the person was a party to the municipality's original case. However, membership, the exact decision-making body, the type of decision, and any special appeal legislation must be checked.

All files and their functions

How does judicial review work?

Under Chapter 13, Section 4 of the Local Government Act, the appeal is submitted directly to the Administrative Court. The general rule under Chapter 13, Section 5 is three weeks from the relevant public notice on the municipality's, region's, or municipal association's public notice board that the minutes have been approved. There are special rules for joint committees, among others. Check both the correct court and the actual appeal time limit for the decision in question. The person appealing must state the circumstances on which the appeal is based before the time limit expires; new circumstances later cannot be assumed to be considered, under Chapter 13, Section 7.

Four grounds for judicial review under Chapter 13, Section 8

The court may annul the decision if it was not made in a lawful manner, concerns something that is not a matter for the municipality or region, the decision-making body did not have the right to make it, or the decision otherwise contravenes the law or other legislation. Certain special exceptions apply. An error that did not affect the outcome does not always entail annulment under Chapter 13, Section 9. Judicial review is not a free assessment of appropriateness.

How to use the documents

1. Identify and check the decision, the minutes, and any special rules.
2. Check your municipal/regional membership and that the decision may be subject to judicial review.
3. Obtain information from the official digital public notice board about the public notice of the approved minutes.
4. Fill in the appeal document and the grounds for judicial review with concrete circumstances, legal provisions, and evidence.
5. Manually check the appeal time limit and that all circumstances are cited in time.
6. Send the appeal directly to the Administrative Court and check that it has actually been received.

Excel workbook with nine tabs

Overview, Cases, Decisions, Notices, Grounds, Evidence, Communication, Checks, and Read Me. Eight formula-driven key figures show registered entries and manually entered statuses. The formulas do not determine whether appeal rights exist, whether a particular ground for judicial review is met, or when a legal time limit expires. Excel does not automatically calculate the last day to appeal. The workbook contains no macros.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I send the appeal?

Directly to the correct Administrative Court under Chapter 13, Section 4 of the Local Government Act. This is a crucial difference from many administrative appeals, where the appeal is normally first submitted to the decision-making authority.

When does the appeal time limit expire?

Under the general rule, after three weeks from the relevant official public notice of the approval of the minutes on the municipality's or region's public notice board. Special circumstances, such as a joint committee and whether the notice has remained posted, require individual checking.

Can I appeal even if I am not personally affected?

Yes, membership in the municipality or region may grant appeal rights even if the decision does not personally affect you. If you lack relevant membership, you may lack appeal rights.

Can the Administrative Court change the decision to what I want?

No. In judicial review, the court may annul the decision if the conditions are met, but cannot replace it with its own decision on the merits.

Can I supplement the grounds later?

Be careful. Under Chapter 13, Section 7, the court may not consider any circumstances other than those you referred to before the appeal time limit expired.

Will the municipality's decision be automatically suspended?

No. Under certain conditions, a decision may be enforced before it has gained legal force under Chapter 13, Section 14. An appeal does not automatically result in a decision to suspend enforcement.

Are the Swedish documents translated into English?

No. The English guide explains the use of Swedish documents under Swedish law; it does not mean that the main templates are translated or adapted to foreign law.

Related resources and legal sources

To access the municipality's minutes or supporting documents, a request for public documents may be a separate support. See also the Local Government Act (2017:725), Chapter 1, Sections 5–6, Chapter 8, Section 12, and Chapter 13, Sections 1–15, as well as The Swedish Courts' guidance on judicial review.

Product version 1.0. AI-assisted legal source review performed 2026-11-01. No separate external legal review, regulatory approval, or guaranteed legal outcome is promised.