Constitutional Court of Lithuania

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Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania (in Lithuanian: Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas) is a special court established by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania of 1992; it began the activities after the adoption of the Law on Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania on February 3, 1993. Since its inception, the Court has been located in the city of Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue.

The main task of the court is judicial review. It may therefore declare the acts of the Seimas unconstitutional and thus render them ineffective. As such, it is somewhat similar to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, it differs from it and other supreme courts in that it is not part of the regular judicial system, but more a unique judicial branch. Most importantly, it does not serve as a regular court of appeals from lower courts or as a sort of “superappellate court” on any violation of national laws.

Its jurisdiction is focused on constitutional issues, the integrity of the Constitution. Moreover, it adjudicates on the conformance of the acts of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to the laws, compliance with the Constitution of international agreements, as well as their ratification, and takes a final decision on voting infringements.

Activities[]

The Court has played a substantial role in the development of the Lithuanian legal system, declaring a number of national laws unconstitutional. On March 31, 2004, it issued a ruling acknowledging the breach of the oath of office by the President Rolandas Paksas. He was removed from office by Seimas following the impeachment on April 6, 2004; this has been the first successful case of impeachment of the head of state in the history of Europe.^[1] The ruling interpreted the Constitution as precluding a person, who was pleaded guilty for the breach of oath, from assuming any future position in public service, which requires taking an oath.

Composition[]

The Court comprises nine justices, elected by the Seimas, for a nine-year non-renewable term of office. Only Lithuanian citizens of an impeccable reputation, who are trained in law, and who have served for at least 10 years in the legal profession, or in an area of legal education are eligible for appointment. Usually, notable legal scholars and highly experienced judges qualify for the position. The candidates are nominated by the Chairman of the Seimas, the President of Lithuania and the President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Lithuania, 3 persons each. The Seimas appoints the President of the Court from among the justices upon the nomination by the President of the state.

Members[]

Current members[]

Name	Date of birth	Hometown	President	Date appointed	Mandatory retirement year	Law School	Prior judicial office
Danutė Jočienė (President Justice)	(1970-11-10) 10 November 1970 (age 50)	Mažeikiai	Grybauskaitė Nausėda	10 March 2014 18 June 2021	2023	Vilnius University	European Court of Human Rights
	(1954-12-06) 6 December 1954 (age 66)	Šilutė	Grybauskaitė	10 March 2014	2023	Vilnius University	European Court of Human Rights
	(1949-05-09) 9 May 1949 (age 72)	Tauragė	Grybauskaitė	10 March 2014	2023	Vilnius University	Klaipėda City Local Court Ukmergė Local Court Supreme Court of Lithuania
	(1965-06-13) 13 June 1965 (age 56)	Švenčionys	Grybauskaitė	14 March 2017	2026	Vilnius University Goethe University Frankfurt	Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania Supreme Court of Lithuania
	(1977-08-23) 23 August 1977 (age 44)	Raseiniai	Grybauskaitė	14 March 2017	2026	Vilnius University
	(1955-03-08) 8 March 1955 (age 66)	Kelmė	Grybauskaitė	14 March 2017	2026	Vilnius University	Supreme Court of Lithuania
	(1967-06-02) 2 June 1967 (age 54)	Šilalė	Nausėda	15 January 2021	2029	Vilnius University
	(1962-08-24) 24 August 1962 (age 59)	Trakai	Nausėda	15 January 2021	2029	Vilnius University	Ignalina District Local Court Vilnius Regional Court Supreme Court of Lithuania
	(1974-08-20) 20 August 1974 (age 47)	Babrai	Nausėda	9 June 2021	2029	Vilnius University Goethe University Frankfurt

Historical composition[]

1993–1996

1996–1999

1999–2002

2002–2005

2005-2008

2008-2011

2011-2014

2014-2017

2017-2020

2020-2023 (current)

See also[]

• Judiciary
• Rule of law
• Rule According to Higher Law

References[]

External links[]

• Official website

Coordinates: 54°41′17″N 25°16′23″E / 54.688°N 25.273°E / 54.688; 25.273