Ring out the old, ring in the new: state reform and the reintervention of administrative adjucation

Since 1970, Belgium has known several state reforms. These have led to a federal structure in which more and more powers have been transferred to the communities and regions; including, implicitly, the initiative to establish administrative courts. The meanwhile fragmented landscape of administrative courts raises the question of the need for a unified Flemish administrative court next to the National Council of State. Flemish politicians site the faulty functioning of the Federal Council of State as the reason for their unbridled urge to establish their own Flemish administrative courts. This paper examines the accuracy of this reasoning and the future evolution of the Council of State and the Flemish administrative courts