Public services: theoretical and legal aspects

Abstract

The scientific article is devoted to the coverage of the theoretical and legal aspects of the «public services» category. The purpose of this article is to form the concept of public services and clarify their essence. The research methods are a collection of modern methods and techniques for learning objective reality, combining both general scientific and special methods of learning legal phenomena. The basis of the research is a complex system method of cognition, in relation to which problems presented in the form of unity of social content and legal form. The results are a comparison of the categories «state service», «social service» and «public service». Different types of services provided in the country at the regulatory and legal level, among scientists and practitioners there are different definitions of the concept of «service». This refers to the definition of the concept of «public services», which prompts researchers to pay attention to the theoretical justification of the meaningful characteristics of the concepts of «services» and «public services». The main approaches to defining the concept of public services and the highlighted features of the above concept considered. Features of public services are highlighted: focus on satisfying socially beneficial interest; regulated by the norms of public law; public nature of legal relations regarding the provision of services; provision of services by a public entity or the private sector under the responsibility of the public sector; provision of services at the expense of state and local budgets; is a way for a person to realize his rights and legal interests or a way to fulfill his obligations. When using the «service» category, the main emphasis is on legal aspects, and in particular, on the subjects of provision. It emphasized that the state and its authorized bodies play an important role in the provision of public services. The analysis of the current legislation on the provision of public, state, local, administrative and other types of services gave reasons to determine that the specified services related to the public-authority activities of public authorities, mainly executive authorities, local self-government bodies and other authorized subjects.