återvisning

Återvisning is a Swedish noun that denotes the act of sending back a matter, a decision, or a case to a previous, usually lower, administrative or judicial authority for renewed handling or further examination. The term is most commonly used in the legal field.

In practice, återvisning occurs when a higher court or a supervising authority decides that a case has not been adequately prepared, that new evidence is needed, or that a ruling must be reconsidered. The case is then remanded to the appropriate lower instance (for example, from the Court of Appeal to a district court) to order new proceedings or a new ruling. Återvisning should not be confused with överklagande (appeal); an appeal changes the decision, whereas återvisning returns the matter for further processing.

Usage outside the strict court system can also describe returning a matter to an authority for additional investigation or clarification, such as an administrative body returning an application to a department for supplementary information. The term is predominantly found in formal or legal prose and is less common in everyday language.

Etymology: återvisning derives from åter- (“again, back”) and visa (in this sense “to send, to refer” or “to show”). The combination conveys the idea of sending a matter back for further consideration rather than final disposition.

See also: överklagande, omprövning, remand.