Procedureregler

Procedureregler are rules that govern how procedures are conducted within legal, organizational, and technical systems. They specify the steps, sequence, deadlines, and required actions needed to complete a process, with the aim of ensuring consistency, fairness, and predictability in outcomes.

In law and governance, procedural rules guide the conduct of cases, administrative actions, and dispute resolution. They cover topics such as filing deadlines, evidence handling, notice requirements, and the sequence of steps a decision-maker must follow. In organizations, procedural rules define workflows, approval paths, recordkeeping, and escalation processes to support efficient operation and accountability. In software and data processing, they can formalize the automatic execution of tasks, error handling, auditing, and the interaction between different components of a system.

Procedural rules are distinct from substantive rules, which determine rights, duties, and the applicable standards of conduct. Procedures focus on how decisions are made and actions are carried out, while substantive rules govern the content of those decisions. Procedural rules are typically codified in statutes, regulations, internal policies, or manuals, and they often interact with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and governance frameworks to ensure consistent practice.

Examples include court rules of procedure, administrative procedure acts, corporate governance policies, incident response playbooks, and documented data processing procedures. The presence of clear procedural rules helps reduce ambiguity, improves efficiency, supports compliance with legal and policy requirements, and enhances transparency and accountability.

In Scandinavian languages, procedureregler is a compound term formed from words for procedure and rules and is used to denote these kinds of governing guidelines. See also procedural law, administrative procedure, and standard operating procedures.