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PhrasesItalian BureaucracyPosso presentare ricorso contro questa decisione.
B2formal

Posso presentare ricorso contro questa decisione.

I can lodge an appeal against this decision.

Pronunciation

ri-KOR-so — stress the second syllable; 'rs' in ricorso is a consonant cluster — say them cleanly without inserting a vowel.

When to use it

Use this when you disagree with an administrative decision — a rejected permit, a tax assessment, a refused benefit, or any other official decision. Italy provides multiple avenues for administrative appeal.

What it means

Italian administrative law provides several levels of appeal (ricorso). First is ricorso in autotutela (to the same authority), which is informal. Then ricorso amministrativo (to the superior authority). Finally, ricorso al TAR (Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale) for court-based review. Each level has specific time limits — often 30-60 days.

Variations

Devo fare ricorso entro 30 giorni dalla notifica.

I must lodge an appeal within 30 days of notification.

Time limit is critical; missing it means the decision becomes definitive.

Presento ricorso al TAR.

I'm lodging an appeal with the Administrative Court.

TAR is the first-level administrative court; above it is the Consiglio di Stato.

Prima provo con il ricorso in autotutela.

First I'll try an informal appeal to the same authority.

Cheapest first step; the authority reconsiders its own decision without external challenge.

Mini Dialogue

— Mi hanno rifiutato il permesso edilizio. Cosa posso fare? — Puoi presentare ricorso. Prima prova con l'autotutela, poi se non serve vai al TAR. — Ci vuole un avvocato? — Per il TAR sì, è obbligatoria la rappresentanza legale. Per l'autotutela puoi farlo da solo.

— They refused my building permit. What can I do? — You can lodge an appeal. First try the informal appeal to the same authority, then if that doesn't work go to the Administrative Court. — Do you need a lawyer? — For the Administrative Court yes, legal representation is mandatory. For the informal appeal you can do it yourself.

Cultural Note

Italy's administrative courts (TAR and Consiglio di Stato) handle over 70,000 new cases per year. Long backlogs mean that justice can take 3-5 years even at first instance. Italy's administrative court system dates to the French influence under Napoleon and is structured differently from both the common law judicial review system and Germany's administrative court model.