Abstract

Unlike the civil process, the administrative process in Italy begins with an appeal to the court instead of a writ of summons. Originally, this was a consequence of the “objectiveµ function of administrative process, as the Court had to assess the legitimacy of an administrative act. By contrast, in the civil process, the dispute between the parties begins with the summons of one by the other, whereas the judge enters the scene only later to settle the issue. Despite the significant evolution of the administrative process towards fuller respect for the principle of fair trial, the circumstance that it still begins with an appeal to a judge instead of a writ of summons involves significant consequences, which this essay seeks to explore.