View source for Constitutional Court of Lithuania

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox high court
| court_name = Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania
| native_name = {{lang|lt|Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas}}
| image = Konstitucinio teismo logo.svg
| imagesize = 
| established = 1992
| jurisdiction = Republic of Lithuania
| location = [[Gediminas Avenue]], [[Vilnius]], Lithuania
| coordinates = {{Coord|54.688|N|25.273|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| type = Renewed by a third every three years, each judge nominated by the [[President of Lithuania|President]], [[List of speakers of the Seimas|Speaker of Seimas]] and the Head of the [[Supreme Court of Lithuania|Supreme Court]] and appointed by [[Seimas]]<ref name="appointment">{{cite web|title=Appointment and status of Justices|url=https://lrkt.lt/en/about-the-court/justices/appointment-and-status-of-justices/181|website=Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania|access-date=21 May 2022|archive-date=21 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521163603/https://lrkt.lt/en/about-the-court/justices/appointment-and-status-of-justices/181|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| authority = [[Constitution of Lithuania]]
| terms = 9 years (only one term allowed)<ref name="appointment"/>
| positions = 9
| website = {{URL|https://lrkt.lt/en|lrkt.lt}}
| chiefjudgetitle = [[President of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania]]
| chiefjudgename = [[Gintaras Goda]]
| termstart = 6 April 2023
}}

'''Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania''' (in {{langx|lt|Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas}}) is the [[constitutional court]] of the [[Republic of Lithuania]], established by the [[Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania]] of 1992. It began the activities after the adoption of the Law of Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania on 3 February 1993. Since its inception, the court has been located in [[Vilnius]].

The main task of the court is [[judicial review]]. It may therefore declare the acts of the [[Seimas]] [[Constitutionality|unconstitutional]] and thus render them ineffective. As such, it is comparable to the [[Federal Constitutional Court|Federal Constitutional Court of Germany]] or, in a limited scope, to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. However, it differs from it and other [[supreme court]]s 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==
[[File:LRKT by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Headquarters of Constitutional Court in Vilnius]]
{{Politics of Lithuania}}
The Court has played a substantial role in the development of the [[Law of Lithuania|Lithuanian legal system]], declaring a number of national laws unconstitutional. 
On 31 March 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 6 April 2004; this has been the first successful case of impeachment of the head of state in the history of [[Europe]].<ref>[http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/04/dea1b82e-15e4-4651-a95e-b4e294eff047.html Lithuania: Paksas Becomes First European President To Be Removed From Office] Accessed January 8, 2007</ref>  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.

On 9 December 1998, the Constitutional Court declared that article 105 of the criminal code of the Republic of Lithuania, which established the death penalty, violated several articles of the Constitution.<ref>[https://lrkt.lt/lt/teismo-aktai/paieska/135/ta385/content Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinio Teismo nutarimas dėl Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamojo kodekso 105 straipsnio sankcijoje numatytos mirties bausmės atitikimo Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucijai] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810112850/https://lrkt.lt/lt/teismo-aktai/paieska/135/ta385/content |date=10 August 2022 }} (Ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania on the constitutionality of the death penalty provided in the sanction of article 105 of the criminal code of the Republic of Lithuania)</ref> This ruling was a big step in humanizing the punishment system.<ref>Constitutional Court (13 January 2020) [https://issuu.com/lrkt/docs/25_web-compressed_/12 25 Konstitucinio Teismo bylos, pakeitusios Lietuvą] (25 cases of the Constitutional Court that changed Lithuania), p. 11</ref>

==Composition==
The Court comprises nine justices, appointed 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 court is renewed by a third every three years. 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]], the Seimas then decides on appointing them. The Seimas appoints the President of the Court from among the justices upon the nomination by the President of the state.

==Members==
===Current members===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name
! Date of birth
! Hometown
! President
! Date appointed
! Mandatory retirement year
! Law School
! Prior judicial office 
|-
| {{sortname|Gintaras|Goda|Gintaras Goda}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1965|6|13}}
| [[Švenčionys]]
| [[Dalia Grybauskaitė|Grybauskaitė]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|3|14}}
| {{dts|format=y|2026}}
| [[Vilnius University]]<br />[[Goethe University Frankfurt]]
| [[Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania]]<br />[[Supreme Court of Lithuania]]
|-
| {{sortname|Daiva|Petrylaitė|Daiva Petrylaitė}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1977|8|23}}
| [[Raseiniai]]
| [[Dalia Grybauskaitė|Grybauskaitė]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|3|14}}
| {{dts|format=y|2026}}
| [[Vilnius University]]
|
|-
| {{sortname|Janina|Stripeikienė|Janina Stripeikienė}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1955|3|8}}
| [[Kelmė]]
| [[Dalia Grybauskaitė|Grybauskaitė]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2017|3|14}}
| {{dts|format=y|2026}}
| [[Vilnius University]]
| [[Court of Appeal of Lithuania]]<br />[[Supreme Court of Lithuania]]
|-
| {{sortname|Giedrė|Lastauskienė|Giedrė Lastauskienė}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1967|6|2}}
| [[Šilalė]]
| [[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2021|1|15}}
| {{dts|format=y|2029}}
| [[Vilnius University]]
|
|-
| {{sortname|Algis|Norkūnas|Algis Norkūnas}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1962|8|24}}
| [[Trakai]]
| [[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2021|1|15}}
| {{dts|format=y|2029}}
| [[Vilnius University]]
| [[Ignalina]] District Local Court<br />[[Vilnius]] Regional Court<br />[[Supreme Court of Lithuania]]
|-
| {{sortname|Vytautas|Mizaras|Vytautas Mizaras}}
| {{birth date and age|df=y|1974|8|20}}
| [[Lazdijai District Municipality|Babrai]]
| [[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
| {{dts|format=dmy|2021|6|09}}
| {{dts|format=y|2029}}
| [[Vilnius University]]<br />[[Goethe University Frankfurt]]
|
|-
|{{sortname|Tomas|Davulis|Tomas Davulis}}
|{{Date of birth and age|1975|5|29|df=yes|mf=yes}}
|[[Vilnius]]
|[[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
|16 March 2023
|2032
|[[Vilnius University|Vilnius]] 
[[Vilnius University|University]]
[[University of Freiburg]]
|
|-
|[[Aurelijus Gutauskas]]
|{{Birth date and age|1972|5|22|df=yes|mf=yes}}
|[[Vilkaviškis]]
|[[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
|16 March 2023
|2032
|[[Mykolas Romeris University|Mykolas Riomeris University]]
|
|-
|[[Stasys Šedbaras]]
|{{Birth date and age|1958|2|10}}
|Tūjainiai
|[[Gitanas Nausėda|Nausėda]]
|16 March 2023
|2029
|[[Vilnius University]]
|
|}

===Historical composition===
'''1993–1996'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Juozas Žilys]] (''President'')
*[[Algirdas Gailiūnas]]
*[[Kęstutis Lapinskas]]
*[[Zigmas Levickis]]
*[[Vladas Pavilonis]] († 2003)
*[[Pranas Vytautas Rasimavičius]] († 2002)
*[[Teodora Staugaitienė]]
*[[Stasys Stačiokas]]
*[[Stasys Šedbaras]]
{{div col end}}
'''1996–1999'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Juozas Žilys]] (''President'')
*[[Egidijus Jarašiūnas]]
*[[Kęstutis Lapinskas]]
*[[Zigmas Levickis]]
*[[Augustinas Normantas]]
*[[Vladas Pavilonis]] (†2003)
*[[Jonas Prapiestis]]
*[[Pranas Vytautas Rasimavičius]] (†2002)
*[[Teodora Staugaitienė]]
{{div col end}}
'''1999–2002'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Vladas Pavilonis]] (''President'') (†2003)
*[[Egidijus Jarašiūnas]]
*[[Egidijus Kūris]]
*[[Zigmas Levickis]]
*[[Augustinas Normantas]]
*[[Jonas Prapiestis]]
*[[Vytautas Sinkevičius]]
*[[Stasys Stačiokas]]
*[[Teodora Staugaitienė]]
{{div col end}}
'''2002–2005'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Egidijus Kūris]] (''President'')
*[[Egidijus Jarašiūnas]]
*[[Augustinas Normantas]]
*[[Armanas Abramavičius]]
*[[Kęstutis Lapinskas]]
*[[Zenonas Namavičius]]
*[[Jonas Prapiestis]]
*[[Vytautas Sinkevičius]]
*[[Stasys Stačiokas]]
{{div col end}}
'''2005-2008'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Egidijus Kūris]] (''President'')
*[[Vytautas Sinkevičius]]
*[[Stasys Stačiokas]]
*[[Kęstutis Lapinskas]]
*[[Armanas Abramavičius]]
*[[Zenonas Namavičius]]
*[[Romualdas Kęstutis Urbaitis]]
*[[Toma Birmontienė]]
*[[Ramutė Ruškytė]]
{{div col end}}
'''2008-2011'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Kęstutis Lapinskas]] (''President'')
*[[Armanas Abramavičius]]
*[[Zenonas Namavičius]]
*[[Romualdas Kęstutis Urbaitis]]
*[[Toma Birmontienė]]
*[[Ramutė Ruškytė]]
*[[Pranas Kuconis]]
*[[Egidijus Šileikis]]
*[[Algirdas Taminskas]]
{{div col end}}
'''2011-2014'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Romualdas Kęstutis Urbaitis]] (''President'')
*[[Toma Birmontienė]]
*[[Ramutė Ruškytė]]
*[[Pranas Kuconis]]
*[[Egidijus Šileikis]]
*[[Algirdas Taminskas]]
*[[Dainius Žalimas]]
*[[Egidijus Bieliūnas]]
*[[Gediminas Mesonis]]
{{div col end}}
'''2014-2017'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Dainius Žalimas]] (''President'')
*[[Pranas Kuconis]]
*[[Egidijus Šileikis]]
*[[Algirdas Taminskas]]
*[[Gediminas Mesonis]]
*[[Elvyra Baltutytė]]
*[[Vytas Milius]]
*[[Vytautas Greičius]]
*[[Danutė Jočienė]]
{{div col end}}
'''2017-2020'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Dainius Žalimas]] (''President'')
*[[Gediminas Mesonis]]
*[[Elvyra Baltutytė]]
*[[Vytas Milius]]
*[[Vytautas Greičius]]
*[[Danutė Jočienė]]
*[[Gintaras Goda]]
*[[Daiva Petrylaitė]]
*[[Janina Stripeikienė]]
{{div col end}}
'''2020-2023'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Danutė Jočienė]] (''President'')
*[[Elvyra Baltutytė]]
*[[Vytautas Greičius]]
*[[Gintaras Goda]]
*[[Daiva Petrylaitė]]
*[[Janina Stripeikienė]]
*[[Giedrė Lastauskienė]]
*[[Algis Norkūnas]]
*[[Vytautas Mizaras]]
{{div col end}}
'''2023-2026'''
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Gintaras Goda]] ''(President)''
* [[Daiva Petrylaitė]]
* [[Janina Stripeikienė]]
* [[Giedrė Lastauskienė]]
* [[Algis Norkūnas]]
* [[Vytautas Mizaras]]
* [[Tomas Davulis]]
* [[Aurelijus Gutauskas]]
* [[Stasys Šedbaras]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{Lithuania topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1993 establishments in Lithuania]]
[[Category:Lithuanian constitutional law]]
[[Category:Judiciary of Lithuania]]
[[Category:Constitutional courts|Lithuania]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1993]]