Standing

Standing determines who is entitled to start proceedings or challenge a decision. It prevents courts and authorities from deciding abstract disputes brought by persons without a sufficient connection to the matter. In Switzerland, standing requirements vary by procedure and field. A party often must show that it is specially affected and has a legitimate interest in annulment or modification of the decision; some statutes grant associations or authorities standing to protect public or collective interests. Standing is distinct from the merits: a claimant may have access to the forum yet still lose substantively. It also differs from legal capacity, which concerns the ability to be a party at all.