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Justices
 

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Justices of the Constitutional Court
 

 

The Constitutional Court consists of 9 justices appointed for a nine-year unrenewable term of office. The Seimas appoints an equal number of justices to the Constitutional Court from the candidates nominated by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the Chairman of the Seimas, and the President of the Supreme Court. The Seimas appoints the President of the Constitutional Court from among the justices thereof upon the nomination by the President of the Republic.

Upon the initial appointment of Constitutional Court justices, three of them were appointed for a three-year term of office, three for a six-year term of office, and three for a nine-year term of office. Every three years, one-third of the Constitutional Court is reconstituted. The justices of the Constitutional Court, who were appointed for three- or six-year terms of office, may hold the same office for one more term following an interval of at least three years.

Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who have 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 education related to his or her qualifications as a lawyer, are eligible for appointment as a justice of the Constitutional Court.

Justices of the Constitutional Court, when in office, are independent from any state institution, person or organisation, and obey only the Constitution. Before taking office, the persons appointed as Constitutional Court justices swear, in the Seimas, to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania and the Constitution.

The activities of the Constitutional Court justices are subject to restrictions regarding work and political activities: they may not hold any other elected or appointed office, and may not be employed in any business, commercial or other private establishment or company apart from educational and creative work. They may not receive any remuneration other than the salary established for justices and payment for educational or creative activities. The Constitutional Court justices may not participate in the activities of political parties or other political organisations.

The person of a Constitutional Court justice is inviolable—Constitutional Court justices may not be found criminally or administratively responsible, may not be arrested, and may not be subjected to any other restriction of personal freedom without the consent of the Constitutional Court.

The powers of a Constitutional Court justice are terminated: on the expiration of his term of office; upon the death of the justice; upon voluntary resignation; if the justice is incapable of fulfilling his duties for reasons of health; upon being removed from office by the Seimas, according to impeachment proceedings.

 

 

Romualdas Kęstutis URBAITIS
President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Romualdas Kęstutis Urbaitis was born on 27 February 1942 in Berštupis village, Marijampolė region. After graduation cum laude from the Faculty of Law at Vilnius University in 1968, he was a judge at the courts of Šakiai region and Kaunas city. In 1984, Mr. Urbaitis was accepted to the Lithuanian College of Advocates, he was a member of the presidium of its council. In 1993, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania appointed him a justice of the Supreme Court of Lithuania. Upon reorganisation of the Supreme Court, Mr. Urbaitis was a judge at the Regional Court of Kaunas, and from 1999—the Justice of the Supreme Court of Lithuania. In March 2005, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
On 12 April 2011, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania appointed Romualdas Kęstutis Urbaitis President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania.

 

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Egidijus BIELIŪNAS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Egidijus Bieliūnas was born on 13 December 1950 in Panevėžys. In 1968 he graduated from Kupiškis Secondary School. In 1973 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. From 1969 till 1974 he worked as a technician in the laboratory of Criminology of the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. In 1974–1977 he undertook his postgraduate studies at Moscow University. In 1980–1981 Mr. Bieliūnas took internship at Paris Comparative Law Institute. From 1977 to 1992, he was and, since 2003, he has been a lecturer in the Department of Criminal Law (former Department of Criminal Justice) of the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. In 1990–1992 Mr. Bieliūnas was a chief consultant and an assistant officer at the legal division of the Supreme Council-Reconstituent Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. From 1992 to 1994, he was an advisor for consular affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Benelux countries, from 1994 to 1996—an advisor at the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in France, and from 1996 to 1999—a member of the European Commission of Human Rights. As from 1999 he was a justice at the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of Lithuania. E. Bieliūnas is an associate professor, holds a PhD in law.
In March 2011, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
 

 

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Toma BIRMONTIENĖ
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Toma Birmontienė was born on 15 April 1956. In 1974 she graduated from the 22nd Secondary School in Vilnius. After the graduation from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University (in 1979) until 2004 she was a lecturer, senior lecturer, assoc. professor, and professor at Mykolas Romeris University (as it is called at present), she held also the office of the Dean of the Faculty of State Administration (1998–2000) and was the Head of the Constitutional Law Department (1998–2004). In 1989, she maintained her doctoral thesis at M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University. Ms. Birmontienė also acted as the consultant at the Ministry of Healthcare (1990–1996), and later (from 1995 till 2004) she was the Director of the public organisation Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights. In July 2004, Toma Birmontienė was appointed an Advisor to the President of the Republic and the Head of the Legal Department. In 1997–2001 she was Vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Lawyers’ Society. In March 2005, she was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
Ms. Birmontienė is a professor, holds a PhD in law.

 

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Pranas KUCONIS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Pranas Kuconis was born on 6 June 1961 in the Kaišiadorys district. In 1984 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. In 1984–1986 he lectured in the Faculty of Law. In 1991–1993 he worked as an investigator of the Investigation Department under the Ministry of the Interior, in 1993–1997 he worked as the head of a division, Deputy Director and Director of the Forensic Science Centre of Lithuania. From December 1997 he worked as a justice of the Supreme Court of Lithuania. He was a member of working groups for drafting the Code of Criminal Procedure and other laws. Pranas Kuconis is an associate professor, holds a PhD in law.
In March 2008, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.

 

 

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Gediminas MESONIS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Gediminas Mesonis was born on 9 November 1968 in Vilnius. In 1991 he graduated from the Faculty of Physics of Vilnius Pedagogical Institute (single-stage studies). In 1996 he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, and in 1998—a Master‘s Degree in Law. From 1992 to 1997 he was a lecturer in the Department of Legal Informatics of the Law Academy of Lithuania, from 1994 to 1996—in the Department of Information Technologies of Vilnius Pedagogical University, and from 1997 to 2000—in the Department of Constitutional Law of the Law University of Lithuania. In 2000 he did academic work in Philadelphia (USA) within the Fulbright Program. In 2000 he defended his PhD thesis in social sciences (legal field). In 2002–2004 he was the Director of the Centre for Studies of the Law University of Lithuania. In 2007–2011 Mr. Mesonis was the Head of the Department of Constitutional Law of Mykolas Romeris University. In 1998–2010 he was on internship and lectured in various foreign universities (Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands). G. Mesonis is a professor, holds a PhD in law.
In March 2011, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.

 

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Ramutė RUŠKYTĖ
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Ramutė Ruškytė was born in Plungė. Having graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, from 1985 till 1990 she was the Secretary in Charge at the Juvenile Commission at one of the administrative regions of Vilnius city. She was a lecturer of law at an evening school. From 1990 till 1993, Ms. Ruškytė was engaged in legal work at the Vilnius City Municipality, the National Service for Science, Studies and Technology, and Vilnius Pedagogical University. She worked also as a secretary-assistant to a deputy of the Supreme Council of Lithuania. From 1993 till 2001, Ms. Ruškytė was a referent-consultant to the Legal Department of the Office of the Government, then she moved to the position of the Deputy Head and later to the position of the Head of the Department of Law and Order. In 2001–2002 she was an associated professor at the Law University of Lithuania, and an advocate as well. In 2002, Ms. Ruškytė was appointed the Director of the Law Department of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania. In March 2005, Ramutė Ruškytė was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.

 

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Egidijus ŠILEIKIS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Egidijus Šileikis was born on 8 May 1967 in the Zarasai district. In 1985 he graduated from Pandėlis Secondary School (Rokiškis district). In 1990 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. He worked as an intern in the same faculty. In 1991 he finished master’s studies in Frankfurt University (Federal Republic of Germany), and in 1994 he finished post-graduate studies at the same university and received the degree of doctor of legal science. In 1994–1997 he worked as an assistant, senior assistant of the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. He also became the dean of this faculty. As from 1996, he was an advisor of the Legal Division of the Office of the Seimas, while as from 1998—an advisor of the Office of the Government on issues of public administration. In 1997–1998 he was on internship in Frankfurt University, and in 2004—in the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 2002–2005 he was an associate professor at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, and since 2005 he has been professor at the same faculty. He has written several books and articles on constitutional law.
In March 2008, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
 

 

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Algirdas TAMINSKAS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Algirdas Taminskas was born on 9 February 1962 in Biržai. In 1986 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. From September 1986 he worked as an assistant, senior assistant, associate professor at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. From May 1993 till December 1994 he was an advisor of the Seimas Committee on the State and Law Issues, from December 1994 till February 1999 he was the Seimas Controller (ombudsman), the Head of the Seimas Controllers (Ombudsmen) Office. From June 1999 till 20 June 2007, he worked as a judge of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania. From June 2007 he worked as a justice at the Supreme Court of Lithuania. In 2002–2006 he was a member of the Commission for Ethics and Discipline of Judges, and from July 2006 he was a member of the Judicial Court of Honour. Algirdas Taminskas holds a PhD in law.
In March 2008, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
 

 

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Dainius ŽALIMAS
Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania

Dainius Žalimas was born on 22 May 1973 in Vilnius. In 1991 he graduated with a gold medal award from the 27th Secondary School (at present J. Basanavičius Secondary School) in Vilnius. In 1996 he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University (single-stage studies). Since 1996 he has been a lecturer at Vilnius University, in 2002–2005 he was a lecturer at the Law University of Lithuania (at present Mykolas Romeris University), and in 2001–2003—at the Military Academy of Lithuania. From 1998 to 2011 Mr. Žalimas was a legal advisor to the Minister of National Defence. Since 2011 he is a professor of international and European Union law at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University. On an individual basis as well as while taking part in various working groups, he was engaged in preparation of 59 draft laws and other draft legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania. D. Žalimas is a professor, holds a PhD in law.
In March 2011, he was appointed a justice of the Constitutional Court.
 

 

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