Lithuania - April 2025

On 17 April, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Civil Code’s definition of domestic partnership—limited to unions between a man and a woman—is unconstitutional. It found the provision conflicts with the constitutional principles of the protection of dignity, the protection of private life, and equality and non-discrimination. The Court also noted that the lack of legislation recognizing civil partnerships for unmarried cohabiting couples created legal uncertainty and eroded public trust in the state. The Court ruled that Parliament must adopt legislation regulating the procedure for the registration of civil partnerships but did not set a deadline. A civil union bill which would provide certain legal protections to same-sex couples (including inheritance rights and shared property), passed two readings in parliament in 2023 but was not put to a final vote due to a lack of support. The case was initiated by the former centre-right government. 

Sources: ConstitutionNet, Baltic Times, LRT, Constitutional Court, WIPO 

On 10 April, the Constitutional Court ruled that restricting access to assisted reproduction services to people in a marriage or registered partnership contradicts the Constitution. The ruling pertains to publicly funded services, as well as private clinics. The Court found no objective justification for the Law on Assisted Reproduction’s difference in treatment of people facing infertility according to marital status, deeming it discriminatory under Article 29 of the Constitution, as it limits rights based on family situations. It further found the legislature failed to comply with the requirement to ensure universal access to healthcare (Article 53). The Court emphasised that reproductive health services should be based on medical need, not personal circumstances. The ruling will enter into force on 10 April 2026, giving the legislature time to pass legislation ensuring access to assisted reproduction services to single women and unmarried couples. 

Sources: Constitutional Court, LRT, Ministry of Health