Amicus Brief Submitted in Relu-Adrian Coman and Others v. Romania

While Lithuania still remains among 6 European Union states that do not provide a gender-neutral Partnership alternative, National LGBTI Rights Organization LGL together with the international partners from the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria continue to consolidate their efforts towards establishing a higher standard of protection within the regulation of the European Convention on Human

First ever straight couple to become civil partners in the UK

A straight couple have become the first ever to become civil partners in the UK after a ceremony on the Isle of Man, which lies between England and Ireland. The pair, Adeline Cosson, 24, and Kieran Hodgson, 22, entered their partnership at a small ceremony, with two witnesses, in the island’s capital. Civil partnerships between

Lithuanian Government Pushes Opposite-Sex Partnership Bill

On August 11th, 2016 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania gave approval to the changes proposed by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania to the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania which would legalize civil partnership of opposite-sex couples and further exclude same-sex couples from legal recognition of same-sex relationships.

Lithuanian parliament speaker speaks out against same-sex marriage

“I represent traditional families, but I am not against partnership, as partnership is not same-sex marriage, partnership defines property relations,” the Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Seimas Loreta Graužinienė claimed on the 17th of June, 2015 when asked about her opinion on registered partnership for same-sex couples. Speaking about cohabitation of persons of the same

Final adjustments to a bill on registered partnership, drafted by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania, are being made with the Catholic Church, and the document would shortly be submitted to the government for deliberation, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevičius admitted on the 16th of June, 2015. “We

Justice Minister’s Opposition Violates European Norms (Berlin, June 11, 2015) – The Lithuanian justice minister’s blanket rejection of a gender neutral bill to allow civil partnerships contravenes European standards, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Justice Minister Juozas Bernatonis released today. The minister was reacting to a proposed civil partnership bill by nine

The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania Juozas Bernatonis (Social Democratic Party) has proposed to register a bill that would introduce registered partnerships only for different-sex couples. According to the Minister of Justice, many unmarried couples today are living together in Lithuania; thus there is a pressing need to regulate this “widespread form

The Minister of Justice of Lithuania Juozas Bernatonis (Social Democratic Party) claimed that Lithuania will not follow the example of neighboring Estonia. According to Mr Bernatonis, civil partnership will not be legalized in Lithuania as long as he will be in charge of the Ministry of Justice. “I would say that this is an extremely

Estonia moving forward with gay and straight civil partnerships bill

A bipartisan parliamentary group in Estonia is working on a bill allowing gay and straight Estonian couples to formalize their relationship in response to growing rates of unmarried cohabitation in the Eastern European nation. Estonians may be able to enter into civil partnerships as soon as July if a coalition of Estonian lawmakers get their

Vallianatos and Others v. Greece: What is in there for Lithuania?

Is it possible that having a discriminatory law allowing civil partnerships only for different-sex couples is better than having no law at all? After the Grand Chamber released its judgment inVallianatos and Others v. Greece case, Lithuanian human rights advocates have realized that indeed it is. Contrary to a popular view that the judgment could