Lithuanian president rejects proposed judge for Kaunas regional court leadership

The Kaunas Regional Court remains without a permanent head after Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda declined to approve judge Kristina Imbrasienė, the candidate recommended by a selection committee, LRT.lt reports.

A new selection process has now been launched, with the president’s office stating that Nausėda must assess whether a proposed candidate meets his requirements. Officials hope the renewed process will attract a broader pool of applicants.

The selection committee had evaluated candidates based on professional knowledge, legal experience, quantitative and qualitative performance indicators, academic work, and other criteria. However, the final decision rests with the president, who is not bound by the committee’s recommendation.

The National Courts Administration confirmed to LRT.lt that while it is uncommon for the president to reject a committee’s proposed candidate, one or two such cases occur annually. The administration noted that the president is entitled to request additional information before making a decision.

Imbrasienė, whose candidacy was rejected, will not participate in the new selection round, according to LRT.lt sources. The previous selection saw three candidates compete for the position: Vaidotas Granickas, Kristina Imbrasienė, and Arūnas Purvainis.

The court is currently led on an interim basis by deputy chair Vaida Motiejūnienė. The last permanent chair, Purvainis, served until April of last year before returning to his role as a judge in the court’s criminal division. In October 2025, the Judicial Ethics Court issued Purvainis a formal reprimand for violating ethical principles in his professional conduct.

The new selection process began on March 25, with a list of participants to be finalised by May 5.