Meritorisch

Meritorisch is an adjective used in Dutch and German legal and administrative language to describe matters that pertain to merit rather than form. It denotes substantive considerations—the merits of a claim, the factual and legal grounds—rather than procedural aspects such as admissibility, jurisdiction, or timeliness.

Etymology traces the term to Latin meritorius (deserving), passing into Germanic languages and into Dutch and German legal vocabulary. In Dutch usage, phrases such as op de merites or op de merites van de zaak refer to decisions or evaluations based on the substance of the dispute.

Usage and scope: In law, a meritorisch decision is one that resolves the dispute on its merits, assessing whether the claim is factually and legally warranted. This is often contrasted with procedural grounds for dismissal, for example lack of jurisdiction or improper procedure. In administrative or educational contexts, meritorisch also describes decisions or criteria that depend on merit, such as merit-based scholarships, promotions, or rewards.

Relation to comparable terms: In English, the closest equivalents are “on the merits” (a substantive ruling) and “meritorious” (deserving reward). Meritorisch as a legal term is not a universal English counterpart but is used in specialized Dutch and German texts to denote substantive evaluation. The precise nuance can vary by jurisdiction and context, and the term remains relatively specialized outside those linguistic communities.