LOCAL AUTHORITIES

The present volume includes contributions by seven authors which deal with legal issues concerning local authorities in a coherent and critical manner. The topics of the book relate, specifically, to issues that are perceived as important constitutional aspects of local authorities, including their democratic formation and legitimacy of their operations, their exclusive authority regarding administration of local affairs, as well as their administrative and financial independence. In particular, the chapters of the book deal with a) the limits placed by the constitution to the legislator with regards to the organisation of local authorities, b) the issues of representation, election system and “ability to govern”, with regards to nomination of officials of local authorities, c) statutory position of elected officials, d) the issue of disciplinary and civil liability of elected officials, e) the issue of state control of acts of local authorities and relevant judicial protection, f) the fundamental principles governing the creation of organisations of municipalities and regions, and g) the role of local authorities in spatial and city planning. The present volume aims at contributing to the academic discussion evolving around the issue of administrative organisation of the state and, in particular, local government, which falls within the academic field of public law, as well as to provide with assistance to the enforcer of the law who is assigned with the task to deal with contentious issues relevant to everyday operations of local government.