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Purpose: This paper deals with the legal regulation of Estonia’s public order from the aspect of local governments. The purpose of the article is to analyse relevant Estonian legislation to help identify problems and make suggestions for improvement. Proposals are intended for the institutions involved in developing legislation in Estonia. Local governments in the country act according to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (1992), but still retain enough legal autonomy to decide on local affairs independently of the state government. Methods: The paper is based on an analysis of national legislation. In the legal research, the author pays attention to written sources of law, e.g. the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia (1992), and subsequent legal acts regulating public order. Findings: The main task of local government is to provide public services and improve the quality of the living environment. In Estonia, the principal provider of internal security is the Police and Border Guard Board. It is the responsibility of local government to assist the national structures in fulfilling their duties. On the other hand, the municipalities are required to ensure public order within their territories. The legal power given by parliament to local governments to carry out such activities is insufficient to ensure the law is enforced. Practical Implications: The findings in this paper highlight areas in which the legal regulation could be improved. Originality/Value: Although the legal basis for Estonian municipalities’ operations has been studied carefully, it is necessary to examine issues concerning the links between local governments and public order in detail. The continually changing legislation makes the situation complex to handle. It also provides an opportunity for international comparative analysis with other European Union member states. Namen prispevka: Prispevek prikazuje estonsko pravno podlago zagotavljanja javnega reda in miru z vidika lokalnih oblasti. Namen prispevka je analizirati veljavno zakonodajo, identificirati težave in pripraviti predloge za izboljšave. Predlogi izboljšav so namenjeni institucijam, zadolženim za pripravo estonske zakonodaje. Lokalne oblasti sicer delujejo v skladu z estonsko ustavo, vendar imajo tudi določeno mero pravne avtonomije. Metode: Prispevek temelji na analizi nacionalne zakonodaje, predvsem ustave in zakonskih predpisov, ki urejajo področje javnega reda in miru. Ugotovitve: Glavna naloga lokalnih oblasti je zagotavljanje javnih storitev in čim večje kakovosti bivalnega okolja. Notranjo varnost v Estoniji zagotavlja policija (angl. Police and Border Guard Board), lokalne oblasti pa sodelujejo pri izpolnjevanju varnostnih nalog državnih organov ter hkrati zagotavljajo javni red in mir na svojem območju. Pooblastila lokalnih oblasti za izvajanje teh dejavnosti niso zadostna. Praktična uporabnost: Ugotovitve prispevka lahko pripomorejo k izboljšanju pravne ureditve. Izvirnost/pomembnost prispevka: V prispevku je predstavljena pravna podlaga za delovanje lokalnih oblasti na področju zagotavljanja javnega reda in miru, ki je zaradi nenehnih sprememb zakonodaje na tem področju precej zapletena. Prispevek predstavlja tudi osnovo za nadaljnjo primerjalno analizo z drugimi članicami Evropske unije. |
