<![CDATA[Background: The replacement of officials by regional heads must comply with the principle of legality, the merit system, and statutory provisions. However, replacements conducted without authority, beyond authorized powers, or contrary to legal provisions (ultra vires) reveal gaps between administrative law and governance practices, threatening legal certainty and the rights of state civil apparatus personnel. Objective: This study examines the effectiveness of government supervision over ultra vires actions by regional heads in replacing officials and their legal consequences from a state administrative law perspective. Methods: This normative legal research employs statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials were collected through a literature review and analyzed qualitatively using a prescriptive approach. Results: Supervisory mechanisms remain ineffective because preventive supervision applies only under specific conditions. Outside these conditions, supervision predominantly relies on repressive mechanisms through the State Administrative Court. Ultra vires actions produce administrative decisions with defects of authority (bevoegdheidsgebrek), affecting their validity, the employment status of state civil apparatus personnel, and regional heads’ legal accountability. These findings highlight the need for stronger safeguards against unlawful replacements. Conclusion: Strengthening preventive supervision and clarifying regulations on the classification and legal consequences of administrative decisions that are void ab initio are necessary to ensure legal certainty, safeguard personnel rights, protect the merit system, and promote good governance.]]>
