"I believe that during this term we will manage to introduce this institution into our courts," the minister said after a meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaitė.
In the minister's words, the concept will be developed by 2015.
The introduction of public representatives will be aimed at increasing transparency and involving representatives of the public in decision-making rather than stepping up hearings, Olekas said.
"This is what our citizens want, and the issue was rather widely discussed, and certain bills were drafted. But those bills were a far cry from the public survey results on what people want from the introduction of this institution," Olekas said.
"To be more specific about deviations from expectations, so let's say a Vilmorus survey showed back in 2011 that the majority of people wanted public representatives to have an advisory right only. Meanwhile, later specialists who drafted the bills shifted to the right of decisive vote," the minister said.
Critics say the involvement of public representatives in courts might lead to longer hearings.
