News and updates on human rights developments in Lithuania and Europe
According to the latest public survey in Lithuania, most people believe that female victims of violence should receive assistance, but also that women are often the cause of the violence itself. The full extent of the problem of domestic violence finally became apparent with the adoption of the Law on Domestic Violence at the tail …
Domestic Violence: Help the Victim, Blame the Victim Read More »
The Constitutional Court concluded that Lithuanian Member of Parliament (MP) Kęstutis Pūkas, who had harassed young women working and wanting to work for him, seriously violated the Constitution and his oath of office. The court found that Pūkas brought the girls to his residential premises for a chat, talked to them about intimate topics not …
Lithuanian Constitutional Court: Sexual Harassment Violates the Constitution Read More »
The right to a lawyer and the right to legal aid is increasingly seen as a vital component of a fair and accessible justice system, and necessary for redressing situations where rights are denied or violated. Fairness and accessibility of the justice system are especially important for the individuals subject to criminal proceedings. They justly …
Accessible Justice – access to a lawyer study (2017) Read More »
The fast food chain “Keulė Rūkė” received a €1,500 fine from the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority for violating the principles of public morality and denigrating religious symbols in advertising. The decision provoked varying responses from the Lithuanian public: some are happy that the affront was stopped, others are convinced that it undermines freedom of …
Fast Food Chain Fine Provokes Public Debate on Limits of Freedom of Expression Read More »
The number of complaints from prisoners about prison conditions has increased sevenfold in Lithuania since 2012. According to a judge from the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court, in 2016 this court alone awarded almost a million euros to prisoners in compensation for the harm suffered due to degrading, unsanitary conditions and overcrowding. These complaints made up …
Prisoner Complaints About Conditions Increase Sevenfold in Lithuania Read More »
The Seimas Committee on Human Rights on September 20 held discussions on the draft Law on Protection of Prenatal Life. Should the Committee approve the draft, it will be passed on to the Seimas for deliberations. The 2013 bill seeks to ban abortions except in cases where the woman’s health or life is at risk, …
Abortion Ban Returns to the Agenda of the Lithuanian Parliament Read More »
In March, two young men in Kaunas, Lithuania, threatened a pregnant woman and insulted her husband, an Irish citizen of Indian descent, by calling him names and urging him to go back home. The Kaunas District Court found that this only amounted to a breach of the public order. The Kaunas Regional Court later changed …
Racist Assault Only Deemed a Hate Crime After Appeal Read More »
For quite some time, thousands of confidential personal identity codes were freely available on the Lithuanian Employment Office website. What’s more, it took a while before the visitor who noticed this gap in security was able to find someone in the office to contact about this breach of data protection. This isn’t the first time …
Personal Data Security Hole Found on Lithuanian Employment Office Website Read More »
Lithuanian authorities refuse to disclose the name of the company that exported goods worth €1.14 million to North Korea this year. According to the news portal 15min.lt, this year a secretive Lithuanian company exported textiles to North Korea worth €1.14 million. Both Statistics Lithuania and the Customs Department refused to disclose who was trading with …
Who Is the Mysterious Lithuanian Company Trading With North Korea? Read More »
Human Rights Monitoring Institute is launching new online learning course “New European legal standards on criminal procedure”. The course is aimed at criminal defence lawyers and associates, prosecutors, police officers and other professionals working in the field of criminal law. Experienced lecturers The European Union laws and the most recent case law of the European …
