During the last couple of years there has been more and more talk in Estonia about involving non-governmental organisations in the legal drafting process. But only active cooperation and participation already in the phase when draft Acts are being prepared and proceeded may be referred to as participation in legal drafting process, not passive monitoring of the proceeding of draft Acts. Interest groups should be involved in the preparation of a draft Act during as early phase as possible.
On March 22nd, 2001 an important step was taken ? the Estonian Law Centre Foundation opened on its web page a new Internet portal ? a forum for discussing draft Acts and making proposals concerning these draft Acts (www.lc.ee/themis), that was later named Themis after the well known justice godess from Greek mythology.
The main aim of the Law Making Forum Themis is enhancing communication between the public sector and civil society (especially the non-profit sector). On the Themis forum all people are given an opportunity to learn about draft Acts, their explanatory memorandums and other materials connected to drafts. Electronic forum users can express their opinion about drafts and make motions to amend these drafts. The Themis team makes compendiums of useful proposals and comments and sends these to the institution, which is currently proceeding the draft. In most cases Themis has received also feedback from the ministries ? which of the proposals and comments have been entertained and which of them have been not and also why certain proposals or comments were entertained and others were not. These responses and feedback are also made available to public via Themis.
One very important direction is also the Russian version of the Themis forum that was launched only on December 1st, 2002. On that forum a person who is speaking Russian as his/her mother tongue, may express his/her opinions in Russian.
Themis' activities so far have been fruit-bearing ? state ministries have become more open and have started to consider more the opinions of the citizens and civil society organisatsions compared to the situation of some years ago (some motions to amend draft Acts that have been made on Themis forum have reached also different Acts and drafts). Citizens have become more courageous in expressing their personal opinions and making proposals and they have started little by little to use the opportunities for participating in legal drafting process.
Reesi Lepa (reesi@lc.ee)
Estonian Law Centre Foundation
Lossi 19, 51003 Tartu ESTONIA
ph. 37 27 300 460
fax 37 27 300 470
e-mail: lc@lc.ee
