Summary

The concept of the right to impose administrative fines as prepared by the Ministry of Justice was published recently and the said concept should serve as the primary basis in the development of legislative drafting regarding administrative fines. This has triggered active discussions on how to adapt administrative fines into Estonian law. The main driver behind the many different and at times conflicting opinions is the notion that any potential issues can successfully be resolved on the basis of current law. The author finds this to be wishful thinking – there is a need for a new legal paradigm that does not damage the functioning of our current legal system.