<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This article examines electoral behavior in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, the Baltic States and Ukraine). The main aim is to analyze electoral behavior in particular sub-national territories in order to discover differences and common trends in the countries examined. The article discusses interconnections between socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural characteristics of particular sub-national territories and the attitudes of their inhabitants expressed in voting results and opinion polls. The factor of post-World War II immigration (historic immigration) seems to still determine regional culture (including political preferences) in all the countries under consideration. The specific details of electoral behavior are analyzed using quantitative method. This method helps to examine the results of parliamentary and presidential elections and EU accession referenda of 2003. Correlations between independent and dependent variables repeated in a number of measurements show certain tendencies within each examined country. The totality of such tendencies demonstrates common trends of electoral behavior in post-communist space.</abstract>

Pro-Western Attitudes in the Five Central and East European States: Electoral Behavior

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This article deals with the role of the principle of proportionality in the system of Lithuanian administrative law.The aim of this article is to observe the implementations of the principle of proportionality in Lithuanian administrative law and the application of this principle in Lithuanian courts. This paper offers an examination of the nature of the principle of proportionality in administrative law, a review of the representation of this principle in Lithuanian legislation, and in particular makes an observation of the role of this principle in the judicial review of Lithuanian courts - specifically, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania and the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania. The article reviews the recent practice of these courts.The article consists of two main parts: a review of relevant legislation and a review of the implementation of this principle in Lithuanian courts. In connection with the place and importance of the principle of proportionality in Lithuanian administrative law, this article distinguishes two fields for the implementation of this principle: (1) the application of the principle of proportionality when the subject of public administration makes the decision on a private person and (2) an assessment of the legitimacy of the decision made by the subject of public administration in the judicial process on the basis of this principle.</abstract>

The Principle of Proportionality and Its Implementation in Lithuanian Administrative Law

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The purpose of this article is to analyze the reforms and development of public administration and public bureaucracy in Lithuania from the prism of the post-Soviet transformation concept. In other words, the effort is to establish a continuation of the features of the Soviet bureaucratic - administrative system, to the extent these can be discussed, and their influence on the public bureaucracy of the independent Republic of Lithuania. It is being ascertained that the purpose of the reforms in Lithuania's State civil services was to develop a stable, professional and politically neutral public bureaucracy; i.e., a classical bureaucracy based on Max Weber's type of an ideal bureaucracy. Certain aspects of reforms were successfully implemented. However, at the behavioural level, the public bureaucracy in post-Soviet Lithuania is still predominately a variant of a pseudo-bureaucracy.One unforeseen outcome of the reforms was a weakening of political control over the bureaucracy. This occurred, because needed attention was not paid to the two-fold nature of politicization. Along with personnel management that is politicized, the functional politicization of the upper levels of civil service is also known. The latter is specifically considered one of the prerequisites for the successful implementation of public policy, adequate to the political control of public administration. Actualization of plans for the functional re-politicization of senior officials was undertaken after the 2008 elections to the <italic>Seimas</italic> [parliamentary body] of the Republic of Lithuania. These should not be assessed as a political whim but as a necessary response to the situation which had formed.</abstract>

Post-Soviet Transformation of Bureaucracy in Lithuania: Main Features and Trends

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Legal entities are among the most active participants of the social relations in modern society, but they also are becoming one of the main sources of environmental risks.With the growing negative intervention of the economic activities of legal entities into environment, legal regulation of relations of economic activities to environment should not be oriented towards application of state enforcement mechanism solely. Compliance with the environmental law and prevention of its breaches can be ensured efficiently through implementing alternative environmental protection measures, having a preventive character and based on a voluntary basis.However, a command and control mechanism, based on applying enforcement procedures to legal entities, which do not comply with the requirements of environmental law, still prevails in Lithuania. In this context, experience of other countries enables justified assuming that various environmental programmes, grounded on voluntary bases rather than on enforcement can be significantly more efficient for ensuring compliance of legal entities with the requirements of environmental regulations.This article, through experience of the United States, analyses importance of voluntary environmental programmes in guaranteeing compliance of legal entities with the requirements of environmental law, and examines implementation of those programmes within the European Union and Lithuania.</abstract>

Importance of Voluntary Environmental Programmes in Ensuring Compliance of Legal Entities with the Requirements of Environmental Law

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Why do some policy evaluations have national and worldwide recognition? Those evaluations make an impact on states' modernization; they change the paradigms, values, stereotypes, programming transformation and reforms. Other evaluations do not have any significant influence and are likely put on the e-shelves of the governments and universities computers. Evaluation researches are defined as reformistic, which aim to develop an alternatives for the social improvement. One of the functions of evaluation is an improvement by assessing policy output and outcome. Most outcomes are jointly determined and controlled by plurality of the actors. Evaluation helps to change a policy agenda, policy formulation and implementation strategies. Modern scientific and technological achievements provide governments with real and noticeable military, economic, political, diplomatic power. Under such circumstances, a critical question emerge: is the influence of policy evaluations determined by the qualifications of the evaluators, the political-economic situation or the efforts of the international donors community to export values, knowledge, ideas which have either direct or indirect interest to the development efforts?</abstract>

A Theoretical Interpretation of Policy Evaluation in the Context of Lithuanian Public Sector Reform

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The purpose of the article is to analyze a new Criminal code of the Republic of Lithuania (in force from the 1st of May, 2003), with the aim to highlight its differences from the old one, and, thereby, to discern the most important novelties while discussing their advantages and possible difficulties (if any) in applying the new norms in practice.The author chooses to investigate only the general part of the criminal code and to analyze, according to the author's opinion, only the most important developments in it, as due to the extent of the article it is impossible to make a detailed analysis of all the novelties in the new criminal code.The author of the article chooses to analyse classification of offences, diminished responsibility, corporate liability, new factors eliminating criminal liability, reform of penalty system, and extension of possibilities to discharge from criminal liability.The research reveals that not all discerned novelties are functioning properly and that some critical issues may be indicated, but, in general, the new criminal code is valued as a positive achievement and a great move towards the enhancement of Lithuanian criminal law.Conclusions of this work, obtained through scientific research, may be used to improve existing criminal code in practice.</abstract>

Reform of Lithuanian Criminal Law: Tendencies and Problems

<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">It seems that offshoring is becoming a more and more significant reality today. Offshoring is at the center of a huge public policy debate, which has emerged among business people, politicians, public servants, blue-collar workers and others. Proponents of offshoring see it as bringing prosperity to third-world countries, as well as saving costs and boosting innovation and productivity in corporate high-tax countries. They believe that saving money on cheaper labor benefits consumers due to lower costs and also benefits shareholders because of increased value. Opponents see it as an "assault on good paying jobs" in developed countries. According to them, the negative effect of offshoring is that many individuals lose their jobs, and this consequently hurts the economy of developed countries.This article analyzes offshoring through the legality of offshore enterprises and raises the question whether the business performed in the form of offshore enterprise and associated with the opportunity to maximize profits on the basis of tax reduction is legitimate, and, if so, what determines the legality of offshore enterprise. The paper also presents the understanding of offshore enterprises in the Lithuanian legal system, and examines whether offshore enterprises are legal within the Lithuanian legal system.</abstract>

The Legality of Offshore Enterprises

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Baltic Journal of Law & Politics

Baltic Journal of Law &amp; Politics (BJLP) is a scholarly journal, published bi-annually in electronic form as a joint publication of the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy and the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania). BJLP provides a platform for the publication of scientific research in the fields of law and politics, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary research that cuts across these traditional categories. Topics may include, but are not limited to the Baltic Region; research into issues of comparative or general theoretical significance is also encouraged. BJLP is peer-reviewed and published in English.  Why subscribe and read  The journal’s contributions present quality research on topics of critical concern both within and without the academy. The journal provides a platform for the publication of innovative research in the fields of law and politics, with an acute interest in the cross-pollinations of disciplines, comparative approaches to regional issues, and active dialogue on pressing contemporary issues of theoretical and practical import.  Why submit  The journal is committed to the quality of every article from the initial stage of inquiry to the date of publication. The journal provides fast, fair and constructive peer review by specialists in their areas from all over the world. Authors receive editorial assistance in adjusting their manuscripts to the standards of the journal as needed. Submissions from all corners of the fields of law and politics are encouraged, especially research that locates itself at their intersections.  Peer review  BJLP is a refereed journal. Submissions are subject to academic peer-review. Every submitted manuscript receives at least two professional reviews, at least one of which is a double-blind review. The peer-review process typically takes 1-2 months after the paper is accepted to peer-review process after the initial review in the Senior Editorial Board. There are no charges for the review process. For more information please visit Instructions For Authors. Rejection Rate   70%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 