Judicial review

Judicial review allows courts to test legislation, administrative action or other public acts against constitutional, statutory or international legal standards. Its form varies: some systems permit courts to annul statutes broadly, while others use more limited review. In Switzerland, courts review administrative decisions and cantonal law, and they protect constitutional rights through available remedies. Review of federal statutes is more constrained than in many constitutional-court systems, although interpretation in conformity with higher law and international human rights obligations remains important. Judicial review strengthens legality, rights protection and accountability, but it must coexist with democratic decision-making and, in Switzerland, with direct democracy and federalism.