On the Lawmaking Policy, Discretion and Importance of the Rule of Law Standards

Abstract

The paper attempts to provide a comprehensive description of the problem of legislative discretion. The study employs two approaches to the issue, traditional and holistic. The former considers the legislative process in its essence, as decisions of legislative bodies, and their discretionary power being determined by the constitutional norms and legal regulations adopted within the lawmaking process. The latter, broader perspective on the legislative process involves other stages (including the pre-legislative stage), thus implying that the discretionary power should encompass various decision-makers. Following this approach, the scope of legislative discretion is determined not only by the legal provisions but also the principles of a democratic state of law. While the degree of (non-)compliance with the standards in question is evidently different from the violation of the rules of law, it does have a significant impact on the passed laws and the functioning of the entire legal system. It also constitutes a challenge to the courts and affects the use of discretion by judges.