Anfechtbare

Anfechtbare is an adjective used in German to describe something that can be challenged or contested. It denotes that a decision, act, document, or declaration is subject to an objection or legal remedy. The word forms from the verb anfechten, “to challenge,” with the suffix -bar meaning “able to be.”

In legal usage, anfechtbare objects are those that parties may dispute through formal procedures such as appeals, objections, or lawsuits. Common contexts include anfechtbare Willenserklärungen (declarations of intent that may be invalidated due to error, deception or duress) and anfechtbare Verwaltungsakte (administrative acts that can be challenged before administrative or ordinary courts). The term also applies to other legal acts whose validity can be attacked under relevant rules.

The concept is often distinguished from acts that are non-anfechtbar or final, as well as from broader notions of challenge or dispute. It carries a sense of potential vulnerability to legal attack rather than affirming that a challenge is currently successful. In civil law, the grounds for contesting a declaration or act are typically specified in law, for example through provisions on error, deceit, or threat, while in administrative law, remedies include objections or court challenges.

Etymologically, anfechtbare combines anfechten with the particle -bar, common in German for forming adjectives describing capability. As a legal term, it is widely used in German-speaking jurisprudence and scholarly writing to indicate that a particular act or decision may still be challenged. In English, it is often rendered as “contestable” or “appealable,” depending on the context.