Lithuania faces legal impasse over same-sex partnership registration

A legal impasse has emerged in Lithuania regarding the registration of same-sex partnerships. Despite a Constitutional Court ruling that opened the path for same-sex couples to establish partnerships through the courts, the Ministry of Justice maintains it cannot implement these decisions.

The Ministry argues that “objective legal obstacles” prevent registration, specifically noting the absence of a statutory legal basis and a lack of regulations defining which registry should be used and what the procedure entails. The Ministry stated that individual court decisions do not resolve the underlying regulatory gap or create a general registration framework.

Following a decision by the Klaipėda Regional Court to uphold the recognition of a partnership between two women in Vilnius, the Ministry attempted to appeal to the Supreme Court of Lithuania. However, the Supreme Court declined to accept the cassation appeal, stating the arguments did not justify a review of the lower court's application of legal norms. The Ministry has indicated it will wait for the Seimas to establish the necessary legal framework and registration procedures.