Abstract

One of the basic rules of administrative proceedings is the principle of written form laid down in Art. 14 of the Code of Administrative Procedure. Recently, public administration officials have been invoking this principle to refuse direct personal contact with the parties and the participants of proceedings (this also includes providing oral information). The article discusses the content and scope of the principle of written form as compared with other general principles of administrative procedure. Especially important in this case are: principle of providing information, the principle of hearing the parties, the principle of deepening citizens’ trust in public authorities and the meta principle of proportionality. The context of constitutional and European regulations, where those principles are also to be found, must not be omitted in the foregoing considerations.