NEWS

On March 21, the 2024 Report on the Activities of Lithuanian Courts was presented. While introducing the report, the Chairperson of the Judicial Council and the President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, Dr. Danguolė Bublienė, emphasized that people are the most important part of the judicial system.

"Success is not created by processes—it is created by people who put their hearts into every step. Judges, judicial assistants, and all members of the court community work diligently and responsibly every day to ensure justice for every member of society," said the Chairperson.

In 2024, 32 new judges joined the judiciary, most of whom had previously worked as judicial assistants. Notably, eight of the newly appointed judges hold doctoral degrees in law-related social sciences. By the end of the previous year, a total of 714 judges were serving in Lithuanian courts.

According to Dr. Bublienė, this demonstrates a restoration of the prestige of the judicial profession. However, strengthening the sense of community among judges and court personnel, attracting specialists, and creating a motivating work environment remain key challenges.

"It is encouraging that we have appointed more judges than we have lost. However, we must note that the number of judges over the age of 60 has slightly increased, meaning that the issue of judicial appointments will remain highly relevant over the next five years," said the Chairperson during the presentation.

Dr. Bublienė highlighted that while the number of candidates wishing to take the judicial exam increased last year, a concerning issue remains: only a small percentage of candidates pass the exam. In 2024, only 18% of candidates succeeded, compared to 34% in 2023. According to the Chairperson, this underscores the need to enhance measures that promote the appeal of the judicial profession.

In 2024, modest additional allocations were made to increase salary coefficients for judicial assistants, court hearing secretaries, and court psychologists. However, these adjustments did not resolve salary-related issues, making the improvement of working conditions for all court employees one of the system’s priorities.

While presenting the report, the Chairperson of the Judicial Council also highlighted some of the most significant changes in Lithuanian courts last year. As part of the nationwide disability reform in 2024, the court community worked to ensure that every individual seeking justice receives high-quality, effective, and accessible legal services. As a result, court websites were adapted for people with disabilities, document templates were updated, and physical accessibility work was caried out in several Lithuanian courts.

A significant change in Lithuanian courts last year was the introduction of a new case distribution system, which took effect on July 1. This reform aimed to ensure a balanced workload in district and regional courts, create equal working conditions, and enhance access to justice for residents across the country. As part of this change, the distribution of certain categories of civil cases in district courts was modified, and appellate complaints received by any regional court are now distributed among all regional courts.

Additionally, preparations were made in 2024 for major structural (optimization/consolidation) reforms in district courts, which were implemented at the beginning of 2025.

During the presentation of the annual report, the Chairperson of the Judicial Council also emphasized the scale of judicial services. The number of cases received by courts increased in 2024 compared to 2023. Last year, courts received 193,215 cases and resolved 191,417 cases, with the majority being civil cases.

While the number of civil cases received and resolved at the district and regional court level (first instance) increased, the number of civil cases related to court-issued permits continued to decline in 2024. This change resulted from amendments to the Civil Code and other laws that came into effect on January 1, 2023, which removed functions unrelated to judicial duties from the courts.

The number of cases received and resolved in the Regional Administrative Court significantly decreased in 2024. This change was likely influenced by amendments to the Waste Management Act that took effect on January 1, 2023. These amendments eliminated the possibility of filing requests with the Regional Administrative Court for payment orders regarding overdue waste management fees. Instead, disputes related to waste collection fees or other payments from waste holders were transferred to non-judicial resolution mechanisms.

The quality of court decisions in 2024 remained high, with only 1.4% of all rulings being modified or overturned. Additionally, civil and administrative cases processed electronically accounted for as much as 92% of all such cases.

The number of users of the Lithuanian courts’ electronic services portal (EPP) e.teismas.lt also increased last year. In 2024, 19,705 new users registered, bringing the total number of users to 164,667 by the end of the year. According to the Chairperson of the Judicial Council, the annual growth in electronically processed cases and the increasing number of portal users indicate significant progress in the digitization of Lithuanian courts.

Dr. Bublienė also highlighted the steady rise in judicial mediation cases. Last year, 819 mediation processes were completed, with 48% resulting in settlement agreements.

Concluding the presentation, the Chairperson briefly reviewed the court budget. In 2024, the total budget for the courts amounted to 119.84 million euros, with 110.02 million euros allocated to salaries for court personnel. However, the courts ended the year with nearly 2 million euros in debt, most of which was due to outstanding salary payments.

Read the short version of the 2024 report in English HERE.