Speaker of the Seimas and leader of ruling Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania Party Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen faced criticism from conservative forces when she proposed to appoint Vytautas Mizaras, a lawyer who represented the local LGBT community in the court, as a judge of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania.
Čmilytė-Nielsen informed the Seimas Liberal Movement faction about her choice on 28th of January, 2021. Before that, she informed the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats party about Mizaras candidacy. Earlier, the Seimas had already rejected a candidacy proposed by Čmilytė-Nielsen: Andrius Kabišaitis, Head of the Seimas Legal Department.
In case the new candidacy will be rejected by Seimas, Dainius Žalimas, whose term as President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania ended in the spring last year, will remain the head of the Constitutional Court. A new vote on the candidate for the judges of the Constitutional Court is planned only in the spring session of the Seimas, which will begin in March.
Representatives of Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats Party acknowledge that Mizaras will not have absolute majority of support during voting at the Parliament.
In 2013 Vytautas Mizaras represented the National LGBT rights organization LGL in its appeal against the decision of the Vilnius City Municipality not to allow the Baltic Pride march to be held on Gediminas Avenue, the main street of Vilnius. The litigation was successful and the march was held in Gediminas Avenue.
Mizaras was presented with a National Equality and Diversity Award for defending citizens’ freedom of assembly in 2013 and for bringing a case to the Constitutional Court on allowing a same-sex partner to live in Lithuania in 2019. Mizaras is a vocal supporter of human rights.
