NON-JUDICIAL MEDIATION IN THE LITHUANIAN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS: CURRENT ISSUES

Abstract

The article is the first scientific study in the cycle of extrajudicial mediation in the administrative process of Lithuania. The purpose. The article describes the envisaged new legal regulation of non-judicial mediation in the Lithuanian administrative law process, analyzing the works of Lithuanian scholars in this field and new draft legal acts, through the categories defined in the research tasks. The aim of the article is to briefly present and discuss the institute of non-judicial mediation in Lithuanian administrative law science and practice, its current and foreseeable development in administrative justice, to define and analyze the aims of non-judicial mediation in administrative law new legal regulation, the envisaged possibilities of non-judicial mediation as an alternative to peaceful dispute resolution in the administrative law system in Lithuania. In order to achieve the aim and objectives of the research, the analysis of Lithuanian scientists’ works and basic laws and newly drafted legal acts implementing non-judicial mediation, pre-trial administrative proceedings and Lithuanian administrative legal regulation was carried out. Methods: comparative, documents’ analysis, systematic approach and other methods were used for research. Results of research. It can be reasonably stated that Lithuania, having regard to the successful implementation of mediation in civil law, has prepared appropriate amendments to new laws and other legal acts and created an efficient operational basis for the proper functioning of non-judicial mediation in pre-trial administrative proceedings. Conclusions. Summarizing this study, it can be concluded that the legal regulation of non-judicial mediation drafted by the legislators is based on analogy with the regulation of mediation in civil law. As judicial mediation in administrative proceedings is already legally regulated, as a complete analogue to civil mediation and administrative courts already apply it in practice, it is expected that the regulation of non-judicial mediation in administrative proceedings will follow a similar model. According to the proposed non-judicial mediation model, such mediation will only be possible once the dispute has been initiated and resolved by the Lithuanian Administrative Disputes Commission or its territorial offices. Such a model is acceptable given the practical work of the commission and the existing legal regulation, and the commission could operate on the basis of the mediation model of administrative courts. However, the question of the qualifications of mediators remains unresolved, as legal theorists do not agree on what the qualifications of mediators in extrajudicial administrative proceedings should be. There is disagreement as to whether a person who has completed only a supplementary course on administrative law will acquire the necessary knowledge and qualifications, as well as whether it is necessary to have a legal education and a thorough knowledge of the principles of public administration. It should be noted that the successful application of non-judicial mediation in administrative proceedings is highly influenced by the nature of the dispute. It is believed that in administrative disputes concerning material, tax relations, civil service, administration of national, European Union and foreign financial assistance, the possibility of mediation seems realistic in order to resolve the dispute and restore the balance of social peace in a manner acceptable to all parties to the dispute. The first steps have already been taken, the law stipulates that a public administration entity may not aggravate the situation of the person subject to the decision by making or modifying the decision. The drafts initiated in this way are related to the extension of the jurisdiction of the disputes dealt with by the Administrative Disputes Commission, in the hope that before the new wording of the Law on Mediation comes into force, other legal acts will be regulated to enable successful non-judicial mediation.