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Is there a human right to reasons for administrative decisions?
University College Stockholm, Department of Human Rights and Democracy.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6772-751X
University College Stockholm, Department of Human Rights and Democracy.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9231-1620
Uppsala universitet.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2450-6762
2026 (English)In: De Ethica, E-ISSN 2001-8819, Vol. 9, no 3, p. 25-42Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development
SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Abstract [en]

When public employees make administrative decisions affecting individuals, they exercise governmental power. The subjects affected by these decisions are often in a vulnerable position, generating an asymmetrical power relationship, which is why reason-giving – justifications – for administrative decisions serves a central role in communicating why a certain decision was taken. The aims of this article are to clarify the legal and philosophical reasons why public authorities have an obligation to justify the decisions they make and explore whether providing reasons for decisions can be seen as a human right. We do this by critically examining the obligation's legal and moral foundations, and we subsequently discuss to what extent it is reasonable to consider it a human right to have decisions justified. We conclude that when sufficient reasons for a decision are missing, the affected individual is deprived of crucial information, impairing their capacity to assess on what grounds the decision was taken, which we argue is a violation of their right to moral autonomy and self-government, and ultimately a violation of their right to justification.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2026. Vol. 9, no 3, p. 25-42
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Ethics
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URN: urn:nbn:se:ths:diva-3066DOI: 10.3384/de-ethica.2001-8819.269325OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ths-3066DiVA, id: diva2:2048791
Available from: 2026-03-26 Created: 2026-03-26 Last updated: 2026-03-26

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Publisher's full texthttps://doi.org/10.3384/de-ethica.2001-8819.269325

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Romare, JohannaOhlsson, Johanna

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  • apa
  • harvard-theologisches-seminar-adelshofen
  • sodertorns-hogskola-harvard
  • oxford-university-press-humsoc
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  • de-DE
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  • nn-NB
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