LIETUVOS  RESPUBLIKOS
                      KONSTITUCINIS TEISMAS

                    PRANEŠIMAS ŽINIASKLAIDAI
                                
                          12 March 2008
                                
MR. J. P. COSTA, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS,
HAS VISITED THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
                                

     Today,  Mr. J. P. Costa, President of the European Court  of
Human Rights (hereinafter also referred to as the ECHR),  visited
the Lithuanian Constitutional Court and met its justices. 
     During   the  conversation,  the  guest  noted  that     the
relationship between the ECHR and the Constitutional Court of the
Republic  of Lithuania is close and well-meant. The President  of
the  Constitutional  Court of the Republic of Lithuania  Mr.   E.
Kūris  paid  attention to the fact that the ECHR  decisions   are
grounded  on the rulings of the Lithuanian Constitutional  Court,
and he assessed that as significant evaluation.
     J.  P. Costa thanked the Constitutional Court of   Lithuania
for the possibility to visit Lithuania: "I came here in order  to
see  with my own eyes how the supremacy of law is protected   and
the  human rights are defended." He emphasized that the ECHR  and
the  Constitutional  Court  of  Lithuania seek  for  the   common
objectives.
     The  guest informed that not only in Lithuania, but also  in
his  homeland  France, there are many discussions regarding   the
individual  appeal. In the opinion of the President of the  ECHR,
in  Germany and Spain, where there exists an individual   appeal,
many  disputes  are decided on the national level,  thus,   fewer
people apply to the ECHR.
     During  the conversation, in which Ms. Danutė Jočienė,   the
ECHR  Judge  from  Lithuania,  and  Ms.  Elvyra  Baltutytė,   the
representative  of  the Lithuanian Government at the ECHR,   also
took part, the participants discussed about the relation  between
the national law, the Convention of Human Rights and  Fundamental
Freedoms and the interpretation of the Lithuanian Constitution.
     ECHR  decisions  of  significance and the  decisions   which
attracted considerable interest of the public were also discussed
during the meeting.
     In  the Constitutional Court of Lithuania, Mr. J. P.   Costa
also  gave  a  lecture "State of Human Rights in  a  Country   of
Transition".
     Today  in the afternoon, the President of the ECHR will   be
received by the President of the Republic Mr. Valdas Adamkus, the
Prime  Minister  Mr. Gediminas Kirkilas and the Speaker  of   the
Seimas  Mr.  Viktoras Muntianas, on Friday - by the Minister   of
Justice Mr. Petras Baguška.
     The agenda of the guest includes meetings and  conversations
with  the justices of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania,  the
President  of the Kaunas Regional Court Mr. Albertas Milinis   as
well  as  with  other judges of this court and other  courts   of
Kaunas.
     J. P. Costa was appointed as a Judge from France of the ECHR
in 1998. In May 2000, he was elected as a Chairman of the college
of  the ECHR, and in November 2001 - as a Vice President of   the
ECHR.  He started working as the President of the ECHR  (duration
of the term of office - 3 years) on 19 January 2007.
     The  former  President  of the ECHR  Mr.  Luzius   Wildhaber
visited the Constitutional Court of Lithuania 3 times.
     
Spokesperson
Ramunė Sakalauskaitė