Procedure descriptions

Lodge a supervisory complaint

You can lodge a specialised supervisory complaint against official decisions or measures that you consider to be unlawful or inappropriate.

Please note: The appeal does not prevent or postpone the authority's decision or measure. Deadlines also continue to run.

If you want to prevent this, you must

  • Lodge an objection,
  • File a lawsuit or
  • apply for summary proceedings in court.

Responsible department

  • the authority that took the contested decision or measure (original authority) or
  • the authority that supervises the original authority

Note: If you submit a specialised supervisory complaint to an authority that does not have jurisdiction, it will forward your complaint to the competent authority. As a rule, the authority will inform you of this.

Details

Prerequisite

You are the addressee of a decision or measure taken by an authority.

Procedure

Submit the complaint in writing. A special form is not necessary. If you decide to lodge the complaint electronically, please first check which electronic transmission channels the authority offers.

The authority will check whether it can make a different decision on the matter. If this is the case, you will receive information about the amended decision.

If the authority does not make a different decision, it will submit your complaint to the next higher authority if you have requested this. This authority will then decide on the complaint and inform you of the outcome.

Deadlines

File a complaint with the supervisory authority as soon as you become aware of the decision or measure.

Required documents

Attach copies of the records or documents if you are submitting the specialised supervisory complaint directly to the next higher authority.

Costs

none

Processing time

depending on the individual case

Miscellaneous

Judicial decisions may only be reviewed by a court. This also applies to decisions

  • of the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
  • of the members of the Court of Audit.

Legal basis

Grundgesetz (GG):

  • Artikel 17 Petitionsrecht

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 07.11.2024