Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania 2015 Annual Report Table of Contents 2 Foreword 4 15th Anniversary of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania 8 The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania as the Court of the Final Instance 9 Current Trends in the Court. Cases, Facts, Numbers. 10 The Division of Administrative Courts in the Lithuanian Association of Judges 10 Regional Administrative Courts of Lithuania © 2016 Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania 16 National and International Cooperation. Significant Events. Žygimantų str. 2, LT-01102 Vilnius Tel. (+370 5) 279 1005 20 Judges [email protected] 22 Administration of Justice in 2015 www.lvat.lt Year 2015 in Statistics Administrative cases filed and resolved in the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania Results of appeals on judgements of regional administrative courts in the Supreme The main part of the 3500 Administrative Court of Lithuania in 2015 3312 cases received in the Filed Resolved Supreme Administrative Number of cases pending at the end of 2015 3000 1 Court of Lithuania 2884 2741 6 1 5 Decision upheld 61 percent consists of cases 2571 2516 4 concerning appeals on 2500 2 Decision amended 18 percent 2193 2165 3 subject-matter, as well 2092 2135 3 Case remitted 6 percent as cases concerning 2000 1885 1890 1953 complaints against Total of 4 Case terminated or appeal left 1584 rulings on procedural 2165 cases not considered 3 percent 1500 1349 issues. The SACL also 5 Appeal proceedings hears cases on elections, terminated 1 percent 982 examines lawfulness of 1000 2 6 New decision adopted 11 percent regulatory administrative acts, decides on renewal 500 of procedural time limits, resumption 0 of administrative 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Results of complaints against rulings of regional administrative courts concerning procedural proceedings, conflicts of issues submitted to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania in 2015 jurisdiction and other questions. Complaints against rulings on procedural issues filed and resolved in the Supreme 5 1 Administrative Court of Lithuania 4 1 Ruling upheld 52 percent 1500 1421 2 Ruling annulled and Filed 1257 3 In 2015 the Resolved case remitted 34 percent 1250 1224 1186 SACL solved 11 3 Ruling amended 9 percent 1059 1001 cases concerning 862 889 879 813 Total of lawfulness 1000 1421 cases 4 Ruling annulled and question considered on its merits of regulatory 4 percent administrative 750 5 Appeal proceedings acts adopted terminated 1 percent by central state 500 authorities. 2 250 Appeals against judgements of regional administrative courts filed in the Supreme 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Administrative Court of Lithuania in 2015 (according to the subject matter) Liability for damage caused by state institutions 27 percent Health protection and social security 12 percent Cases concerning actions of pre-trial criminal investigation institutions, penal institutions and pre-trial detention institutions 11 percent The average length of proceedings concerning The average length of proceedings concerning complaints Taxes and customs 8 percent appeals on subject-matter in the SACL (months) against rulings on procedural issues in the SACL (months) Civil service 6 percent In 2015 the SACL 15 5 Restoration of property rights 3 percent received 1.5 times more 12 4 Construction and spatial planning 2 percent appeals on subject- 9,34 9,06 3,07 Land 2 percent matter compared to 8,67 2,78 9 3 Legal status of foreign nationals in 2 percent the previous year. For 7,02 the Republic of Lithuania 6,53 2,11 Energy 1 percent this reason the average 6 2 1,63 1,88 duration of proceedings Legal aid 1 percent in this type of cases also 3 1 Economic sanctions 1 percent increased. Registries 1 percent 0 0 Supervision of municipal administrations 1 percent 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Environmental protection 1 percent Other 21 percent Table of Contents 2 Foreword 4 15th Anniversary of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania 8 The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania as the Court of the Final Instance 9 Current Trends in the Court. Cases, Facts, Numbers. 10 The Division of Administrative Courts in the Lithuanian Association of Judges 10 Regional Administrative Courts of Lithuania 16 National and International Cooperation. Significant Events. 20 Judges 22 Administration of Justice in 2015 Court mission Administration of justice by guaranteeing protection of constitutional values. Court vision Independent, open and professional judicial authority of the final instance, where transparent and expeditious court proceedings are guaranteed. Court values » Protection of human » Legal certainty rights and freedoms » Constant improvement » Honesty and respect » Responsibility and » Objectivity accountability to the public » Equality Foreword ear 2015 is special in the history of has become more important than Ythe Supreme Administrative Court ever. Today we are living in a country of Lithuania – it is the fifteenth year of whose citizens are ensured all the its work. During the fifteen years the catalogue of the Convention of Human Court has heard over 70 000 cases and, Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as has been acknowledged by various and the administrative courts have EU institutions, the Court has ensured contributed substantially to that by one of the most expeditious court turning provisions of this Convention proceedings in Europe. However, I think into the living law. Fostering the culture that the amount of cases resolved or of respect for human rights has always the expeditious court proceedings are been of utmost importance to us. not the greatest achievements. The core By applying high standards of human result of our work is our input into the rights protection to others and to itself, modern legal culture which is created the Supreme Administrative Court of by preserving the best legacy of the Lithuania aims to ensure that the right national legal culture and by developing to a fair trial is guaranteed to each and adopting European values – respect applicant. Court independence is the to democratic traditions and human imperative strict adherence to which can Ričardas Piličiauskas rights, diversity of opinions, promotion Judge of the Supreme Administrative Court have no exceptions. It is a necessary and of Lithuania, President of the Court from of tolerance, and governance based on essential condition for the Lithuanian November 2008 to September 2015 separation of powers. citizens to trust the court and not The Supreme Administrative Court of to hesitate that their rights will be Lithuania has always had the goal of its respected and protected here. decisions harmoniously corresponding I am certain that today we can readily to the case-law of other Lithuanian and call the Supreme Administrative Court of European courts. By actively referring Lithuania a full-fledged member of the cases to the Constitutional Court of the family of modern European courts. Only Republic of Lithuania and to the Court ten years ago the Court was drawing of Justice of the European Union, the experience from educational projects of Court constantly initiates discussions Western countries, and now the Court over what law should be like in the 21st is invited to teach in other countries century. New ideas on law that are born that are on the road of developing in these discussions encourage evolution constitutional democracy. In the recent and development of legal thought. It is years the Court has contributed to delighting that perception of law and strengthening administrative courts justice has changed substantially over in Ukraine and together with its the past ten years in Lithuania. Having partners has successfully implemented experienced the period of positivism a European Union Twinning Project. when law was understood only as that Student becoming a teacher is a what is established in statutory law, significant achievement for a 15 year old today Lithuania understands it much court, and shows a firm determination more broadly and openly, and the to move forward. concept ‘human rights and freedoms’ 2 Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania 5th anniversary of the Court is an performance that is not directly related 1occasion to look back at the work to administration of justice. In the recent done and also to reflect on where we are years modern tools have been started and what we want to be like in the future. to use in this area in the Court – quality The Constitution obliges the court to management system is functioning, serve the people. Thus exactly the needs customer service standard has been and expectations of the people are of introduced. We are constantly raising utmost importance to us. the bar to ourselves and we are aiming to apply the highest standards when we When applying to court people expect communicate with the court applicants to defend their violated rights. Court and also with our colleagues. Fostering proceedings, decisions, service, and work culture, constant learning, ongoing information provision – naturally all of training, and optimum management that is expected from the Court in high of court resources – these elements standard. I am certain that top quality are necessary in order to create an performance of the Court is the objective environment conducive to excellent that constantly serves as a goal. On performance of the Court. the other hand, perception of quality standards perpetually changes – what Court performance of high standard Irmantas Jarukaitis seemed innovative yesterday, may be in today’s global world is difficult to Acting President of the Supreme considered routine today. Therefore the imagine without cooperation with Administrative Court of Lithuania biggest challenge and goal for us is to other organizations. Initiatives and react to the constantly changing needs of projects implemented together, meetings, the society and to go hand in hand with exchange of ideas – all of that creates a the current developments. medium to share accumulated experience, to broaden one’s point of view, to grow The main task of the Court is to administer and to improve.