ISSN 3103-7305 • International English Edition
Administrative Procedure
Diamond Open Access
Vol. 1, Issue 3 (2026) • Art. 6628 • pp. 1–8
Access to Administrative Records and Non-Existent Documents: The Burden of Proof
Abstract
The right of access to administrative records requires the effective possession of the document by the public body. In judgment no. 4081/2026, the Council of State reaffirms that an official declaration of material non-existence prevents the claim, giving rise to an impossible access governed by the rule ad impossibilia nemo tenetur. The Court identifies custody as a constitutive fact under Article 2697 of the Italian Civil Code, placing the burden of proof on the applicant and precluding disclosure orders based on mere conjectures or defensive purposes.
Key Legal Takeaways
- Ontological prerequisite of access: actual availability and material custody of the administrative record form a constitutive element of the right of inspection and a logical precondition of the judicial action.
- Unenforceability of disclosure orders: faced with a formal administrative declaration of non-existence, the general rule ad impossibilia nemo tenetur bars judicial rulings that would inevitably prove inutiliter datae .
- Allocation of the evidentiary burden: the requesting party bears the burden of alleging and proving actual custody of the document; serious, precise, and consistent presumptions are admissible, whereas mere conjectures are excluded.
- Primacy of material reality over defensive interest: the abstract instrumentality of requested documentation for prospective judicial proceedings cannot cure the absence of the physical or digital object sought.
Suggested Scholarly Citation & Original Reference
International / OSCOLA Citation: Paola De Virgiliis, ‘Access to Administrative Records and Non-Existent Documents: The Burden of Proof’ (2026) 1(3) Metodo Giuridico (ISSN 3103-7305) Art 6628, 1–8 <https://www.metodogiuridico.it/2026/11/11/accesso-documenti-inesistenza-atto-accesso-impossibile-consiglio-stato-4081-2026/en/>
Original Italian Title: Accesso ai documenti e inesistenza materiale: l’onere probatorio — License: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
