An Examination of Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods in the Settlement of Administrative Disputes in French Law
Abstract
This article examines the mechanisms grouped under Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in French administrative law. It distinguishes mediation and conciliation from transaction, mandatory prior administrative review (recours administratif préalable obligatoire, RAPO), and arbitration; it also separates these mechanisms from administrative oversight. The analysis is based on Articles L. 213-1–L. 213-14 of the Code of Administrative Justice, Book IV of the Code of Relations between the Public and the Administration, the Public Procurement Code, sector-specific legislation, and official reports. The 2016 reform created a dedicated framework for administrative mediation, including impartiality, competence, diligence, confidentiality, protection of procedural time limits, and judicial approval of agreements. Transaction permits a written settlement subject to legality and balanced reciprocal concessions. RAPO requires administrative reconsideration before litigation but is not a consensual process. Arbitration remains exceptional for public entities. CADA referral is a compulsory preliminary remedy in access-to-documents litigation and is therefore examined as administrative review rather than mediation. Transport, postal, energy, education, health, and public-procurement mechanisms illustrate the practical diversity of the French system. The article argues that accurate legal classification and enforceable procedural safeguards are essential if ADR is to resolve disputes efficiently without weakening access to judicial review.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Administrative Law
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Hayrettin Kurt
*
0000-0002-7941-7911
Türkiye
Early Pub Date
October 16, 2026
Publication Date
-
Submission Date
January 6, 2026
Acceptance Date
August 19, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication