Abstract. The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed our society, with administrative procedures – as relationships between public authorities and citizens and businesses – being no exception. Still, the innovative digitalisation of such procedures means the 58 administrative units across Slovenia have been able to develop a responsive administrative system. Using normative, descriptive and statistical research methods, the article identifies the relevant drivers and barriers, like user demands leading to a more responsive service, the lack of legal bases, and the top-down approach discouraging progress. Correlation analysis shows that digitalisation also holds important positive implications for the principles of good governance. Moreover, larger administrative units are more likely to achieve a higher degree of digitalisation and hence better public governance. The findings are useful for designing evidence-based public policies to properly respond to pandemic-associated challenges. Keywords: public administration, administrative procedures, Covid-19, good public governance, innovation, digitalisation, Slovenia
Vprašanje kolektivnih pravnih sredstev v Evropski uniji je v zadnjih letih zaradi pobud evropskih institucij pridobilo veliko pozornosti. V praksi se ja namreč pokazalo, da je intervencija Evropske unije na tem področju potrebna, saj se instituti kolektivne tožbe v državah članicah zelo razlikujejo. Razlikujejo se po vrsti kolektivne tožbe, ki je na voljo, aktivni legitimaciji, uporabi sistema vključitve ali izključitve, financiranja tožbe itd. Heterogenost na tem področju je problematična, saj niso vsi državljani držav članic Evropske unije deležni enake pravne zaščite v primerih množičnih oškodovanj. Različne ureditve držav članic pa imajo tudi negativni vpliv na enotni notranji trg. V nalogi sem analizirala izbrane postopke s kolektivnimi tožbami v državah članicah Evropske unije in osvetlila razlike med njimi. Ugotovila sem, da je ukrepanje organov Evropske unije potrebno, da se zagotovi ustrezno urejene in uravnotežene mehanizme, ki prispevajo k učinkoviti zaščiti in izvrševanju pravic v primerih množičnih oškodovanj. ; The issue of collective redress procedures in the European Union has received a great deal of attention in recent years due to initiatives by the European Union institutions. In practice, however, it has become clear that the European Union intervention in this area is necessary, as institutes of collective redress vary greatly from one-Member State to another. They differ in type of collective action available, legal standing, use of an opt-in or an opt-out system, financing of the action, and so on. Heterogeneity in this area is problematic, as not all citizens of the Member States of the European Union enjoy equal legal protection in cases of mass harm. Moreover, different Member States arrangements also have a negative impact on the single internal market. In this thesis, I have analysed selected collective redress procedures in the Member States of the European Union and highlighted the differences between them. I have identified the need for actions by the European Union institutions to ensure that mechanisms are properly regulated and balanced to contribute to the effective protection and enforcement of rights in cases of mass harm.
Predmet magistrskega dela se nanaša na analizo stanja internacionalizacije visokega šolstva v Sloveniji in postopke vpisa tujih študentov oziroma procesne ovire pri vpisovanju tujcev iz tretjih držav (npr. vpisni roki, presoja dokazil ali (ne)sodelovanje med organi). Ključne ugotovitve na podlagi kvantitativnih metod, kjer sem analizirala javne statistične podatke, in kvalitativnih metod z analizo zakonodaje in s polstrukturiranimi intervjuji, so, da obstaja dokaj velika nekompatibilnost postopkov med univerzami, Ministrstvom za zunanje zadeve v povezavi z upravnimi enotami ter Ministrstvom za izobraževanje, znanost in šport in pri pridobivanju dovoljenj za začasno prebivanje v času študija pri tujcih iz tretjih držav. Opravljena je bila tudi mednarodna primerjava s Finsko, ki kaže visoko ciljno usmerjenost v internacionalizacijo in je enako kot Slovenija članica EU. Skozi raziskavo so bile potrjene podane izhodiščne hipoteze. Internacionalizacija za vse deležnike prinaša koristi. Toda rokovnik vpisnih opravil šolskega ministrstva in univerz, npr. Univerze v Mariboru, ni prilagojen tujcem iz tretjih držav. Tudi domet smiselne rabe Zakona o splošnem upravnem postopku v visokem šolstvu ni jasen. Posledica teh pojavov so predolgi postopki in dejanski prihod študentov v Slovenijo šele sredi študijskega obdobja, kar otežuje konkurenčnost slovenskih univerz. Normativni okvir vpisa tujih študentov in še bolj njegovo (ne)izvajanje pri nas tako nista povsem usklajena s cilji internacionalizacije visokega šolstva, kar potrjuje tudi bolj učinkovit sistem istovrstnih postopkov na Finskem. Rezultati magistrskega dela pa so prikazali pozitivne zglede in smeri razvoja, s katerimi bi lahko Slovenija v bodoče regulirala in izvajala vpise tujcev iz tretjih držav. ; The subject of this master's thesis deals with the analysis of the internationalization of higher education in Slovenia and the procedures for enrolment of foreign students or the procedural barriers in regard to the enrolment of candidates from the third world countries, (e. g. enrolment deadlines, assessment of certificates or (non) cooperation between authorities). The key findings, based on quantitative methods employing the analysis of public statistics data, and qualitative methods employing legislation analysis and semi-structured interviews, are that for foreigners from the third world countries there is a rather high incompatibility of procedures between universities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to administrative units and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in regard of obtaining temporary residence permits while studying. The research, further on, includes an international comparison with Finland, which is highly goal oriented towards internationalization and is the same as Slovenia member state of the European Union. Through the research, the baseline hypotheses were confirmed. Internationalization brings benefits for all stakeholders. But the schedule of enrolment tasks of the school ministry and universities, e.g. the University of Maribor is not suitable for foreigners from the third world countries. Also, the scope of meaningful use of the General Administrative Procedure Act in higher education is not clear. These phenomena result in lengthy procedures and the actual arrival of students to Slovenia only in the middle of the study period, which consequently hinders the competitiveness of Slovenian universities. The normative framework of enrolment of foreign students and, even more so, its (non) implementation in Slovenia are, thus, not completely in line with the goals of internationalization of higher education, which also confirms a more efficient system of similar procedures in Finland. The results of the master's thesis showed positive examples and directions of development, with which Slovenia could regulate and implement the enrolment of foreigners from the third world countries in the future.
Avtorica v magistrskem delu obravnava vpliv Listine Evropske unije o temeljnih pravicah na upravni postopek v državah članicah. V začetku prikaže razvoj varstva temeljnih pravic v okviru Skupnosti, zatem podrobneje predstavi temeljne značilnosti Listine ter povzame ugotovitve o uporabi Listine v državah članicah, ki izhajajo iz poročil o temeljnih pravicah Agencije Evropske unije za temeljne pravice. Že v začetnih poglavjih na relevantnih mestih opozori na prednosti in slabosti Listine, ki bi utegnile vplivati na upravni postopek. V nadaljevanju se posveti kritični obravnavi vpliva, ki ga imata na nacionalni upravni postopek dve najbolj procesno naravnani pravici iz Listine, in sicer pravica do dobrega upravljanja (41. člen Listine) in pravica do učinkovitega pravnega sredstva in nepristranskega sodišča (47. člen Listine). Nato na primerih iz sodne prakse Sodišča Evropske unije in nacionalnih sodišč prikaže, kako Listina vpliva na ugotovitveni postopek, obveznosti upravnih organov pred izdajo odločbe, možnost sodne kontrole nad upravnimi akti ter na pravnomočno zaključene zadeve. ; The thesis examines the impact of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union on the administrative procedure in Member States. In the introductory chapters, the developments in the protection of fundamental rights within the European Communities are outlined and the main features of the Charter are presented in greater detail. The key findings on the application of the Charter in the Member States are drawn from the annual fundamental rights reports that are prepared by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Throughout the entire thesis, strengths and weaknesses of the Charter that would have a significant impact on the administrative procedure are referenced where relevant. Further on, the Author critically examines the impact of the right to good administration (article 41 EU Charter) and the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial (article 47 EU Charter), both of procedural character, on the national administrative procedure. Finally, referring to examples acquired from the recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and national case law, the Author demonstrates how the Charter impacts the fact assessment procedure, the obligations of administrative bodies throughout the proceeding, the possibility of judicial review of administrative action and the impact on final administrative decisions.
The Law Amending the General Administrative Procedure Act refers to a variety of provisions. New solutions should contribute to a more rapid, more efficient and more cost-effective procedure. Primarily due to elimination of the inconsistent use of individual provisions in practice, the amending law regulates more definitely the issues of authorizing the persons to manage and make decisions at different decision-making levels in administrative procedures in municipalities. The law also develops electronic operations and it especially amends the electronic service provisions. There is a fairly large number of amendments in the Service Chapter. And an important novelty needs to be emphasized. This is the institute of the waiver of the right to appeal which the General Administrative Procedure Act did not know. However, it is well-known in foreign legal regulations and in the Construction Act adopted in our country. Adapted from the source document.
V času begunske krize leta 2015 se je v Italiji in Grčiji razvil nov način hitrega upravljanja migracijskih tokov, t. i. pristop žariščnih točk, ki temelji na hitri identifikaciji, registraciji in odvzemu prstnih odtisov migrantov ter njihovi nadaljnji preusmeritvi v azilni postopek, postopek vračanja ali premestitve. Čeprav je bil pristop zasnovan kot začasni ukrep, ki naj bi se uporabljal, dokler se izredne razmere ne umirijo, je pristop v praksi implementiran kot trajni mehanizem identifikacije in registracije migrantov, s katerim je Evropska unija (v nadaljevanju: EU) dosegla spoštovanje obveznosti identifikacije migrantov s strani Italije in Grčije, že tako najbolj obremenjenih držav članic. Ker v postopkih identifikacije prihaja do hujših kršitev človekovih pravic, oviranja dostopa do azilnega postopka in diskriminacije na podlagi nacionalnosti, je določenim skupinam de facto odvzeta pravica do mednarodne zaščite. V postopkih vračanja prihaja do kršitev prepovedi vračanja in kolektivnih izgonov, postopki premestitve pa se v žariščnih točkah v praksi ne izvajajo. Uporaba pristopa žariščnih točk tako ni razbremenila Italije in Grčije in ni izboljšala položaja migrantov na poti v Evropo. Odprava sistemskih problemov pristopa, ki so v veliki meri posledica pomanjkanja celovite pravne ureditve in politične volje, bi zato morala zajemati pravno ureditev pristopa v enotnem dokumentu in odpravo spornih praks. Ker so izredne razmere, na katere se uporaba pristopa sklicuje, ob spremljanju političnih in socialnih trendov, v veliki meri predvidljive, bi moral biti poudarek pri izvajanju pristopa na zagotavljanju mednarodne zaščite in ne nadzoru zunanjih meja EU. ; During the refugee crisis in 2015 a new approach of swift migration management developed in Italy and Greece, the so called hotspot approach. The basis of the approach is swift identification, registration and fingerprinting of the incoming migrants for the purpose of redirecting them either to the asylum procedure, returns procedure or relocation procedure. Although designed as a temporary measure, used only until the emergency situation settles down, the approach is implemented as a permanent mechanism for identification and registration of migrants which helped the European union (hereinafter: the EU) achieve compliance from Italy and Greece, already the most burdened states, with their obligation to identify all incoming migrants. Serious human rights violations, obstruction of access to the asylum procedure and discrimination based on nationality occur during the identification process depriving certain groups of migrants of their right to asylum. Violations of the principle of non-refoulment and prohibition of collective expulsions occur during the returns procedures, while relocation procedures are not carried out in the hotspots. The use of the hotspot approach did not relieve the pressure on Italy and Greece nor improve the position of migrants coming to Europe. Systematic problems are largely the result of lack of legal framework and political will and should therefore be addressed with a unified regulation and the end of controversial practices. Since the emergency situation, on which the approach is based, can be largely predicted by observing the current social and political trends the main focus of the approach should be providing international protection instead of control of the EU external borders.
Through the public procurement rules, protection of competition, equality of choice & transparency of the procedure in relationships between the public & private sectors are provided, to the greatest extent possible, in the EU rules. All the contractual relationships between the public & private sectors cannot be subject to strict & formal rules on public procurement primarily due to the special nature of business operations, complexity & duration of the relationships. Concessions or public-private partnerships of a concessionary nature are excluded from the legal regime that applies to public procurement. This paper analyses the contractual relationships of the concessionary nature & the EU efforts for ensuring a certain degree of equal treatment of private partners entering into public-private partnerships. Adapted from the source document.
Sistemi organizacije državne oblasti se razlikujejo po načinu delitve oblasti, organih, ki so nosilci te oblasti ter njihovih medsebojnih odnosih. Parlamentarni sistem, ki je uveljavljen tudi pri nas, temelji na načelu delitve oblasti. Organi državne oblasti med seboj sodelujejo, se nadzorujejo, med njimi pa je z namenom preprečitve zlorabe oblasti vzpostavljen sistem zavor in ravnovesij. V moderni demokraciji med strankami na volitvah vedno poteka tekma za čim višje število glasov, zmago na volitvah in prevzem oblasti. Zmagovalna večina se poveže ter oblikuje vlado, stranke, ki niso članice koalicijske večine, pa čakajo na svojo priložnost na naslednjih volitvah. Vendar mora biti njihov glas vseeno slišan, saj odločitve večine postanejo tudi odločitve manjšine, ki mora zato imeti možnost vpliva na sprejemanje odločitev, poleg tega je pomembna tudi možnost nadzora dela koalicijske večine in izvršilne veje oblasti, v ta namen pa ima opozicija na voljo različne instrumente nadzora. Opozicija ima možnost uporabe svojih sredstev na različnih področjih, v okviru zakonodajne, volilne ter nadzorne funkcije Državnega zbora. Nosilec izvršilne oblasti je v parlamentarnih sistemih vlada, ki je parlamentu odgovorna za svoje delo, brez njegove podpore pa ne more delovati. Parlament, znotraj njega zlasti tudi opozicija, ima na voljo več instrumentov nadzora nad delom vlade, najpomembnejši so poslansko vprašanje, interpelacija in konstruktivna nezaupnica. Nesoglasja med parlamentom in vlado lahko privedejo do politične krize, v končni posledici pa tudi do razpustitve parlamenta in novih volitev. Obstaja več različic parlamentarnega sistema, razlikujejo pa se po načinu oblikovanja, sestavi in delovanju vlade. Naša ureditev se zgleduje po nemškem modelu, pri čemer pa v smeri skupščinske ureditve od njega odstopa v nekaterih pomembnih elementih. Predvsem je tu mišljeno imenovanje ministrov s strani Državnega zbora ter s tem povezani instrumenti, ki povečujejo individualno odgovornost posameznih ministrov v razmerju do Državnega zbora, kar je neskladno z modernimi parlamentarnimi sistemi, ki poznajo predvsem kolektivno odgovornost vlade. Taka ureditev relativizira pomen instituta konstruktivne nezaupnice, ki smo ga sprejeli iz nemškega modela. Zaradi naše neučinkovite ureditve bi bile smiselne ustavne spremembe, kar je zaznal tudi Državni zbor, saj je skupina poslancev predlagala spremembo ustavnih določb, ki se nanašajo na oblikovanje Vlade, v odzivu na ta predlog pa je nastal še predlog Strokovne skupine, ki je predlog poslancev analizirala. Ta naloga obravnava predlagani spremembi Ustave, predlog poslancev in predlog Strokovne skupine, s poudarkom na učinke predlaganih sprememb na položaj opozicije. Poleg tega so v nalogi predstavljene tudi nekatere druge možne spremembe Ustave, ki se nanašajo na način oblikovanja Vlade. Vsak predlog spremembe Ustave našo veljavno ureditev približuje določeni podvrsti parlamentarnega sistema. Pred sprejetjem kakršnekoli spremembe Ustave je torej vredno razmisliti, kateri ureditvi se želimo približati in kakšen vpliv na našo trenutno ureditev bi imel sprejem določene spremembe Ustave. ; The systems of state authority differ in the way they separate powers, branches of power that are holders of the power and their relations. The parliamentary system, which is established also in Slovenia, is based on the principle of separation of powers. The branches of state authority collaborate with each other and control the work of one another. The system of checks and balances is set up to prevent the abuse of power. In the modern democracy there has always been a race to get as many votes as possible, win the elections and take over the power among parties in the elections. The majority that wins is united and forms the Government, while parties that are not members of the majority coalition wait for their opportunity in the next elections. However, their voice has to be heard, because the decisions of majority become the decisions of minority as well, that is why they have to have an impact on decision-making. Besides, the possibility of supervision over the part of the majority coalition and the executive branch is important, for this purpose the opposition has different instruments of supervision. The opposition has a possibility of the use of its means on various areas, within the legislative, electoral and supervisory functions of Parliament. The government, which answers to the parliament for its work, but without its support cannot work properly, is the holder of the executive body in the parliamentary systems. The Parliament, and within it, also in particular the opposition, has several instruments for controlling the work of the Government, the most important are parliamentary question, interpellation and constructive vote of no confidence. Disagreements between the Parliament and the Government can lead to the political crisis and ultimately to the dissolution of the Parliament and new elections. There are several variants of parliamentary system, they differ in the way of forming, structure and working of the Government. Our system follows the German model's example, but as far as assembly is concerned, it differs in some important elements. This mainly refers to the appointment of ministers coming from the National Assembly and instruments referring to it. These instruments are increasing individual responsibility of individual ministers in relation to the National Assembly and that is inconsistent with modern parliamentary systems which are familiar with collective responsibility of the Government in particular. Such system relativizes the meaning of the institute of constructive vote of no confidence which is based on the German's model. Constitutional changes would be logical due to our ineffective system, this was also noticed by our National Assembly. The group of members of the Parliament proposed a change for constitutional provisions which refer to the forming of the Government. In response to this proposal, the Professional group, which analysed the proposal of the members of the Parliament, formed another one. This master's thesis deals with the proposed change of the Government, the proposal of members of the Parliament and the proposal of the Professional group, with emphasis on the effects of proposed changes regarding the position of the opposition. The thesis also presents some of the other possible constitutional changes that refer to the way of forming the Government. Each proposal of the constitutional change brings about our valid system to get closer to the certain category of the parliamentary system. It is worth considering which system is better and what kind of effect would passing a certain constitutional change cause, before even considering constitutional changes of any kind.
The present article proceeds from Badiou's metapolitical understanding of democracy as a philosophical concept. Since according to Badiou the philosophical grasping of democracy depends on its meeting the criteria of politics as the truth procedure and on its succeeding in subtracting itself from the logic of representation (the state of situation or the State), we subsequently concentrate on Badiou's theory of the State. Simultaneously, we expose Badiou's later interpretation of communism, which he, contrary to his previous theory of communism as the destruction of representation, understands as the practice of subtraction from it. In conclusion, we stress that democracy and communism in Badiou's comprehension overlap in the subtracted space from the realm of representation (the State) as the practice of production of the same, which is possible only under the egalitarian prescription. Adapted from the source document.
The prescribed procedure for entering into a public-private partnership, which is the research subject in this paper, is extremely complex & long-lasting because in addition to the umbrella Public-Private Partnership Act, the public partner must observe also the regulations governing the commercial public services, public procurement, public finance & disposal of the physical assets of the state, regions & municipalities. Due to a great number of regulations that need to be observed upon entering into a public-private partnership, in a given case, the public partner has to judge whether or not it is more economical & appropriate to carry out his intention to finance investments in infrastructure or to carry out public service activities in a different manner either by granting an architectural right or by selling physical assets, or by public procurement & not by entering into a public-private partnership. Adapted from the source document.
The public procurement volume amounts to 10.5% of GDP which represents a considerable part of the Slovene economy. Thus, public procurement remains an important generator of economic growth & one of the key agents for the public financial expenditure policy. The public procurement analysis shows that the public procurement structure & share did not essentially change in Slovenia from 2001 to 2006. The data analysis of the public procurement contracts awarded in 2006 showed that the public procurement contracts were non-uniformly distributed according to their values & the number of procedures. On the one hand, great fragmentation & dispersion of public procurement contracts manifest themselves in the small-value public contract segment & its 25.1% value share in all of the public procurement contracts, but on the other hand, there is concentration of the high-value public procurement contracts in merely few large-volume orders. Adapted from the source document.
Platform work is often characterised by economic insecurity, dehumanising control procedures, isolation, deepening racial, economic and gender inequalities, and other socio-economic problems. There are lively debates underway concerned with how to regulate or limit the negative effects of platform capitalism. This article reviews two of the most common calls for action – regulation and platform co-operatives. We argue that there is also an unexplored, complementary option, which uses the network effects of platforms to provide greater benefits for platform workers. To understand this alternative, we introduce the American Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) mechanism for employee buyouts, redefine the model according to the main cooperative values, and apply it to the platform economy. We conclude that there is a third option is available to governments and municipalities, namely to require an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in the local subsidiary of the platform company. Keywords: Platform economy, platform co-operativism, employee buyouts, platform ESOP
The discussion about the establishment of regions has been going on in Slovenia for some years. In addition, the regional legislation package has been in the parliamentary procedure for quite some time, too. The purpose of this paper is neither to analyze the proposed legislation nor to provide a detailed list of all the solutions the legislation can bring in. The real purpose of this paper is to analyze various existing regional divisions in the fields of the state administration, general public services & civil society. Some of these regional divisions are supposed to be adapted (according to the regional tasks presented in the legislative proposal) to the proposed dividing the country into fourteen regions. It interests us how the regionalization, taken into consideration by various institutions of the state administration, broader public sector & civil social organizations, complies with the proposals made in attempts to introduce a broader level of local self-government. Besides, we would also like to ascertain whether in already existing regional divisions in Slovenia there might be the predominant solution that could be the basis for the future dividing Slovenia into regions. Tables, Appendixes, References. Adapted from the source document.
Magistrsko diplomsko delo z naslovom Glavna obravnava v upravnem sporu kot človekova pravica celovito obravnava vprašanje (ne)izvedbe glavne obravnave v upravnem sporu. Mednarodni in slovenski predpisi predvidevajo javne sodne postopke z neposrednim ustnim obravnavanjem zadev. Prvi odstavek 6. člena Evropske konvencije o varstvu človekovih pravic in temeljnih svoboščin določa, da je javna obravnava sestavni del pravice do poštenega sojenja. Ustava Republike Slovenije posredno ureja glavno obravnavo v upravnem sporu, in sicer zlasti v 22. členu (enako varstvo pravic), 23. členu (pravica do sodnega varstva) in 24. členu (javnost sojenja). Glavno obravnavo kot zakonsko materijo podrobneje urejajo določbe Zakona o upravnem sporu in Zakona o pravdnem postopku. Izhajajoč iz ugotovitev Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice, Ustavnega sodišča Republike Slovenije in Vrhovnega sodišča Republike Slovenije v magistrskem diplomskem delu zagovarjam dosledno izvedbo glavne obravnave, predvsem v primeru spornega dejanskega stanja in ko stranka njeno izvedbo izrecno zahteva. Vrhovno sodišče Republike Slovenije in Ustavno sodišče Republike Slovenije sta v novejši sodni praksi zavzela enotno stališče, da ima glavna obravnava v upravnem sporu enako naravo in smisel kot glavna obravnava v katerem koli drugem sodnem postopku. Ustavno sodišče Republike Slovenije je pravico do glavne obravnave v upravnem sporu opredelilo kot samostojno človekovo pravico, ki jo zagotavlja 22. člen Ustave Republike Slovenije. Pravica ni absolutna, zato morajo biti posegi vanjo zakonsko določeni ter prestati ustavna testa legitimnosti (tretji odstavek 15. člena Ustave Republike Slovenije) in sorazmernosti (2. člen Ustave Republike Slovenije). ; The master's thesis titled The main hearing in an administrative dispute as a human right comprehensively deals with issues regarding decision-making in an administrative dispute. International and Slovenian legal acts envisage public legal procedures with direct oral proceedings. The right to an oral hearing is an integral part of the right to a fair trial, as guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia indirectly regulates the right to a main hearing in an administrative dispute, especially in Article 22 (Equal Protection of Rights), Article 23 (Right to Judicial Protection) and Article 24 (Public Nature of Court Proceedings). The right to a main hearing is specified in the Administrative Dispute Act and the Contentious Civil Procedure Act. Building on the findings of the European Court of Human Rights, the Constitutional and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia, the master's thesis advocates for the consistent execution of the main hearing, particularly in cases where facts are being disputed and when a party explicitly demands it. The Constitutional and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia agreed that the main hearing possesses the same nature and meaning in an administrative dispute as it does in any other judicial proceeding. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia has declared the right to a main hearing in an administrative dispute as an independent human right, which is guaranteed by Article 22 of the Constitution. As the right is not absolute, the absence of the main hearing is only permissible in duly justified cases prescribed by law and when the Constitutional tests of legitimacy (paragraph 3 of Article 15 of the Constitution) and proportionality (Article 2 of the Constitution) are passed.