Administrative liability in Lithuania: The model of corporate administrative liability

Abstract

In Lithuania, administrative liability tends to be inflicted upon business entities quite often. The State constantly expands the scope of administrative liability with a view to strengthening the protection of social and economic interests. Hence, administrative liability can lead to effects that are more severe for business entities than the criminal prosecution itself. This indubitably means that the model of administrative liability of business entities constitutes a significant part of Lithuanian public law that calls for a more profound exploration. It is worth noting that provisions regulating administrative liability is scattered throughout various laws within the Lithuanian legal framework: natural persons are primarily subject to the Code of Administrative Offenses, whereas legal entities have to account for administrative liability provisions stipulated by the Law on Public Administration (LPA) as well as by almost 30 legi speciali. However, the number of 58 authorities that are tasked with supervisory functions of business in accordance with pertinent laws regulating their activities should be mentioned. The model of administrative liability of business entities presented in this chapter will encompass the hallmarks of the notion of such liability, its formative years and stages of development, as well as its application while highlighting pertinent institutional aspects-the setup of public bodies entrusted with sanctioning powers and adjudicatory bodies, among other things-as well as procedural aspects-foremost among them, the procedural safeguards for business entities.