Theoretical and practical assumptions regarding the application of mediation while solving administrative disputes in Lithuania

Straipsnyje nagrinėjamos teorinės bei praktinės mediacijos taikymo prielaidos sprendžiant administracinius ginčus Lietuvoje. Remiantis mokslininkų darbais, teisės aktuose įtvirtintomis nuostatomis, administracinių teismų praktika vertinama, ar Lietuvoje galėtų būti taikoma mediacija, sprendžiant administracinius ginčus, ar šiuo metu egzistuojančiame teisiniame reguliavime galima pastebėti taikaus administracinių ginčų sprendimo galimybes. Straipsnyje pirmiausia akcentuojama galimybė kilusį administracinį ginčą išspręsti taikiai taikant mediaciją, t. y. suderinant skirtingus, konkuruojančius interesus, todėl būtent taikaus administracinių ginčų išsprendimo prielaidų ir buvo ieškoma analizuojant mokslininkų darbus, teisės aktus bei teismų praktiką. Šiame darbe remiantis atliktu tyrimu vertinama, kokie administraciniai ginčai ir tarp kokių subjektų galėtų būti sprendžiami taikant mediaciją.Article aims to evaluate the possibilities of solving administrative disputes by using mediation in Lithuania. It should be emphasised that the possibilities of the application of mediation for the resolution of administrative disputes (including the ones related to public interest) have received almost no scientific attention in Lithuania. In order to reach the above-mentioned aim, various legal acts and rulings of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuanian are analysed. In addition, the author analysed some works of the Lithuanian lawyers-scientists who wrote about similar problems. It is stated that in order to reach peaceful resolution of an administrative dispute, clear dispute resolution methods are necessary that would allow eliminating the contradiction between the parties to the dispute, coordinating different interests and thus reaching a generally acceptable result and establishing the order of the society’s life together. One of such dispute resolution methods is mediation. The author notes that it is possible to speak with more confidence about peaceful resolution of administrative disputes in Lithuania. The author states that mediation can be applied for the resolution of disputes arising from a collision of the positions of different members of the society on certain issues of general concern for the whole society or a specific community, disputes between an entity of public administration and individuals or groups of individuals, disputes between different entities of public administration. The rulings of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania show that peaceful settlement of an administrative dispute is possible. It is also important to note that legal acts do not encourage the parties to an administrative dispute to look for peaceful settlement of this kind of disputes. It is possible that if a party to a dispute tries to settle it peacefully but will not succeed, this party can loose an opportunity to apply to court, because the terms of such application can have expired and the fact that a party has been trying to solve the dispute peacefully is not a reason to renew the application terms. The author of the article notes that legal acts exist that allow conflicting parties solve certain administrative disputes by peaceful means, and some legal acts allow public administration to act in the capacity of a mediator