Administrative Judicial Decisions as a Hybrid Argumentative Activity Type

This article focuses on strategic manoeuvring that takes place in Dutch administrative judicial decisions. These decisions may be seen as a distinct argumentative activity type. Starting from the characteristics that traditionally are pertinent to this activity type, I will explore how implications of current discussions on the changing task of the administrative judge may become manifest in the judge's strategic manoeuvring by means of the presentation of argumentation and the introduction of additional standpoints. The case study of Dutch administrative law serves to demonstrate what consequences changing institutional demands may have for the starting points of the analysis of argumentation in judicial decisions.