Lithuanian justice ministry official proposed as new ethics commission member

The Lithuanian parliament is considering the appointment of Jolanta Bernotaitė, a senior official from the Ministry of Justice, as a member of the State Ethics Commission (VTEK), following her nomination by parliamentary speaker Juozas Olekas on Thursday.

Bernotaitė currently heads the Corruption Prevention and Internal Investigations Division at the ministry. Speaker Olekas described her as “an experienced lawyer with broad expertise in both public and private sectors at various levels,” making her a suitable candidate for the ethics watchdog role.

A law graduate of Vilnius University, Bernotaitė previously served as a senior specialist in the Special Investigations Service’s Analytical Anti-Corruption Intelligence Directorate (2019–2022). Her career also includes roles as an assistant lawyer at the Glimstedt law firm, a legal advisor in the Government Chancellery, and director of the Curonian Spit National Park (2008–2009). She has additionally worked at the AIDS Centre, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, the Ministry of Environment, the Centre of Registers, and the company Vilsota.

If approved by parliament, Bernotaitė will replace Gediminas Sakalauskas, whose five-year term on the five-member commission expires in June. The commission oversees compliance with laws on public-private interest coordination, lobbying, and the state politicians’ code of conduct, while also investigating potential conflict-of-interest complaints. Sakalauskas currently chairs the commission, meaning parliament will also need to elect a new leader from among its members.