The advisory functions of the Italian Council of State

ABSTRACT This article, after a brief historical overview, recalls that the Italian Council of State carries out two main functions: judicial, through second instance judgements of administrative court’s decisions; and advisory, on special appeals to the President of the Republic, single questions, and draft regulation. The main features of the Council of State’s advisory functions are analysed, devoting special attention to most recent trends, which show how the advisory function tends to go beyond individual cases and opinions in order to support reform processes as a whole.