Reform of public administration in Lithuania and our legal mentality

Straipsnyje analizuojamas šiuo metu Lietuvoje egzistuojančios viešojo administravimo sistemos santykis su valstybės tarnyba. Aptariamos viešojo administravimo ir valstybės tarnybos sampratos. Straipsnio autoriai lygina naujas Valstybės tarnybos įstatymo nuostatas su Viešojo administravimo įstatymo nuostatomis, atskleidžia valstybės tarnybos genezę Lietuvoje ir pirmą kartą šalies istorijoje legitimuoto – ikiteisminio administracinių ginčų nagrinėjimo reikšmę viešojo administravimo sistemoje.Adoption of the Lithuanian Constitution of 1992 was basis for constructing a new system of relationship between the Government and a person, where „Government serves for people“ (art. 5 of the Constitution), but not vice versus. In the same time it was a background for development of democratic system of public administration. But only in 1999 a new democratic system of public administration was established in Lithuania: civil service was understood as a public service for people, where civil servants are helping people in finding certain information and solving their problems. This reform was established together with administrative courts and administrative commissions, for old institutions could not properly implement this reform into life. But three years of this reform raised certain problems as well. It was clear that establishment of new institutions and adoption of new laws is not enough in changing society into democratic one. The main problems were not institutional or pure legal, but of mentality character. Therefore, new version of Civil service law (of 2002) does not solve all the problems in the civil service sector. From one side - it simplifies the concept of civil service and civil servant by excluding technical assistants and teachers/physicians and the like from corpus of civil servants. But from the other side - possibility of chief of public institution and ombudsman in using disciplinary punishments is very limited under new amendments of the law. Authors of this article share a common opinion that establishment of good pre–judicial institutional system can help in improving abilities of public administration in our country. In achieving it - administrative commissions in municipalities and county administration should be established. The authors also try to share their opinion that public administration in Lithuania should be understood (by scholar and legislature) as a sort of public service for society