Conflict of Interest and the Question of Liability in a Constitutional Democracy

U suvremenim ustavnim demokracijama konflikt interesa nalazi se u samom ishodištu zloupotrebe vlasti političara i javnih dužnosnika s ciljem ostvarivanja privatne koristi. Neovisno od uže ili šire definicije njihovih osobnih interesa, suvremena država ustavnodemokratskog postanja nastoji tom izazovu odgovoriti tako što radi sprječavanja konflikta interesa racionalizira i legalizira različite institucionalne mehanizme. U tom su smislu odgovarajuće kontrole i provjere (checks & balances) radi sprječavanja sukoba interesa potrebne u svim demokracijama. U tekstu se izlažu osnovne postavke teorije odgovornosti na kojima počiva ustavnodemokratska država suvremenog postanja. Primjeri koji se navode, među kojima i slučaj hrvatskog Zakona o sprječavanju sukoba interesa ilustracija su shvaćanja potrebe demokratske kontrole vlasti, te nužnosti postojanja racionaliziranih i različitih ustavnih i zakonskih sredstava kontrola i provjera nositelja vlasti.In modern constitutional democracy there is open conflict of interest when politicians and public officials in power endeavour to achieve personal gain. Regardless of the definitions of their personal interests the modern constitutional and democratic theory trying to answer this challenge by preventing abuse of power with various institutional mechanisms. In this regard it is appropriate in democratic constitutional state to have different and effective checks and balances to prevent abuse of power especially when conflict of interests is in stake. This article reminds on the basic settings of the views of responsability underlying democratic and constitutional state of today. New and still unperfected The Conflict of Interest Preventing Act in Croatia is the illustration of the permanent need for democratic control of government and vital necessity for continuing activities concerning rationalizing and strentghtening constitutional and legal instruments for checking policy makers in democratic polity