Abstract

This article examines Lithuania’s progress in digitalising its public sector, with a particular focus on the implementation of the so-called ‘automated administrative orders’. While automating public sector services offers significant advantages, including cost savings, time efficiency, workload reduction, and the strengthening of key public administration principles — such as improved efficiency, accountability, transparency, equity, and fairness — it is crucial to establish a robust legal framework to support this transformation. Moreover, changes to the legal framework in this area set a precedent for the wider adoption of technology across the public sector.
The article explores Lithuania’s digital achievements, the role of automation in transforming the legal framework, and the challenges posed by balancing efficiency with fairness. It also considers the future of human oversight in the light of evolving European Union (EU) legal standards, concluding that while automation offers significant benefits, ensuring proper human involvement remains essential to protect fundamental rights.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Automation and Digitalisation in Lithuanian Administration

3. The Technologisation of Public Administration Procedures in the Regulation of the Law on Public Administration

4. ‘Automated Administrative Orders’ for Administrative Offences

5. The National Regulation on ‘Automated Administrative Orders’

6. The Debate on Human Oversight in ‘Automated Administrative Orders’

7. Concluding Remarks