Carole M. Billiet, Wazigheid der jaren: de hoorplicht bij bestuurlijke sancties opgelegd na een aanslepend voortraject [Haziness of years: the hearing duty with regard to administrative sanctions imposed after long-lasting preliminaries], C.D.P.K. 2009/3, 519-531
This article discusses a decision of the Belgian Council of State (decision 190.646, b.v.b.a. SORAF, 19 February 2009) concerning the hearing duty the administration has to respect when deciding to sanction. The hearing duty protects the person to whom the sanction would be imposed and allows for better informed decisions. Long preliminaries to an administrative sanction can blur the necessity, extent and proper timing of a hearing.
Full publication (Dutch) here.