PUBLIC HEARINGS IN SLOVAKIA AND IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
MILAN HODÁS
JUDr., PhD., Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law,
Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
The author deals with the institute of public hearings as a tool for the involvement of the public in decision-making in public affairs. Institutes of participatory democracy may favorably affect the governance of public affairs. When a statute is openly debated in parliament with the affected subjects, those to whom the law is directed will feel a pull towards compliance with it. We can speak about greater efficiency of the adopted law. The Slovak parliament does not use the institute of public hearing in its typical form. Many consultations of the public by the Slovak parliament take place in more informal, individual ways. Formalized procedures are stipulated in the Rules of Procedure of the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Committees of the National Council of the Slovak Republic may invite to their meetings experts and other people and ask their opinion. Committees of the National Council of the Slovak Republic may also set up standing and ad hoc commissions to be consulted and to prepare opinions on matters falling within their competence.
