Lithuanian lawmaker criticises parliament’s rejection of judicial candidates as absurd

The head of Lithuania’s parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee has expressed confusion over the Seimas’ rejection of two judicial candidates, calling the decision “absurd” after both had secured unanimous committee approval, LRT reports.

Julius Sabatauskas, chair of the committee, said he could not understand why Nerijus Meilutis’ candidacy for president of the Court of Appeal and Marius Bartninkas’ nomination to the Supreme Court were both voted down in Tuesday’s plenary session.

“I have no idea why this happened,” Sabatauskas told journalists. “The Legal Affairs Committee approved the candidates with all members present voting in favour. For Gediminas Goda and M. Bartninkas, it was 10 votes—every single committee member. For N. Meilutis, it was 8 votes. That’s an absolute majority—80% of the committee.”

He criticised the lack of explanation for the reversal, stating: “It’s not a pleasant situation when the committee approves candidates unanimously, only for everything to flip in the chamber without any justification. That’s what bothers me most.”

Addressing speculation that the votes may have been influenced by shifting coalition dynamics and potential government changes, Sabatauskas urged politicians to resolve disagreements internally. “There’s a lot of talk about this, but I’d say they need to discuss their differences among themselves,” he said.

He also warned against rushed ministerial appointments, citing past cases where appointees lasted only a week in office. “Such instability does not reflect well on the state,” he added.

In Tuesday’s secret ballot, Meilutis—seeking a second term as Court of Appeal president—received 25 votes in favour, 53 against, and 24 abstentions. Bartninkas’ Supreme Court nomination fared slightly better, with 32 votes in support, 44 opposed, and 25 abstentions.