Summary

Estonia today is characterised by its rapid development towards an information-based society. In addition to the increase in the importance of information, it is noteworthy that the number of communication channels between the state and the citizen have increased and that the frequency of use of these channels is also increasing. There is also a substantial increase in the speed of information movement, with the spatial aspect of information movement having become almost non-existent. Information directly received from a person is being increasingly replaced by information acquired from databanks, and data indirectly collected from other procedures, etc.

The theory of administrative law must in turn react to the changed situation, and predict mechanisms supporting an individual-centred situation in administrative procedures, including improving the quality of communication between the parties, and increasing the mutual understanding between the parties.

The aim of the article is to create an association in administrative procedure between the rights of communication and participants in the procedure. The author seeks an answer to the question as to whether and how effective communication affects the realisation of the rights of the participants of procedures in administrative procedures, and whether the laying down of the rights of the participants of procedures in the current law is a sufficient guarantee for the actual realisation of their rights or whether, in order to achieve the desired result – a better information exchange between the parties – there is an additional need to apply measures to improve the effectiveness of communication.