Every citizen has the right to petition as guaranteed by the Constitution.
A Lithuanian citizen aged 16 or over, a foreigner permanently residing in Lithuania, or a group of such persons have the right to submit a petition.
The application may request or propose to address the protection or implementation of human rights and freedoms, the reform of state and/or municipal institutions, or any other issue of importance not only to the petitioner, but also to the whole or part of society.
To qualify as a petition, the application must request or propose to address the protection or implementation of human rights and freedoms, the reform of state and/or municipal institutions, or any other issue of importance not only to the petitioner, but also to the whole or part of society, and which involves the enactment, modification, amendment, supplementation of a normative legal act or recognising that the act is no longer in force.
important The application may not contain a request or proposal which, if granted, would result in the denial of the rights and freedoms of other people, or pose a threat to the independence of the State of Lithuania, the integrity of its territory, or the constitutional order.
What requirements apply?
The applicant or his/her representative shall submit the application to the Parliament, the Government, the municipal authorities or other public authorities which have the power to adopt the normative legal act necessary for the implementation of the application or proposal submitted.
The application must state:
- the applicant's name, surname and personal identification number
- the applicant's contact details (address and/or e-mail, telephone number)
- the institution to which the application is made
- a request for the application to be recognised as a petition, stating clearly the matter which is of importance not only to the applicant but also to the public, and the reasons for and the purpose of the application
- a request or proposal by the applicant to adopt, amend, supplement or repeal a normative act
Remember that the application must be signed. The application may be accompanied by documents supporting the request or proposal set out in the application, a draft of the proposed regulatory act, or other material relevant to the application.
Procedure
The application is forwarded to the petitions commission of the institution concerned. You should normally be informed within 3 working days that your application has been received and registered.
The petitions commission first decides whether your application can be considered a petition and normally accepts it for examination. When examining a petition, the petitions commission assesses the legality, validity, reasonableness, expediency, usefulness, compliance with legislative principles and the feasibility of implementing. The petition should be examined no later than 3 months from the date of the decision to accept the petition for examination.
note The petitions commission may ask you to provide additional documents or information, which you will have to do within a time limit set by the commission of no more than 10 working days.
After examining the petition, the commission will normally make a proposal to the institution concerned:
- to grant, in whole or in part, the request or proposal in the petition and to initiate the adoption, amendment, supplementation or repeal of the normative act
- not to grant the request or suggestion made in the petition
The final and non-appealable decision on the granting of a petition is taken by the parliament, the government, one of the municipal authorities or other relevant institution. The decision of the commission is taken into account but is not bounding. You will be informed of this decision within 10 working days.
If your petition has been rejected, you have the right to reapply for the same request or proposal one year after the date of notification.