European Commission praises Lithuania’s strong court system but highlights underfunding

The European Commission’s latest rule of law report confirms that Lithuania’s court system remains strong and reliable, the country’s Supreme Court announced on Monday.

According to the report, both the public and the business community view the independence of courts and judges highly, with 66% of residents and 70% of companies rating it as “quite good” or “very good.” The Commission also positively assesses Lithuania’s progress in digitalising courts and other quality indicators.

The report was published as Lithuanian courts face mass disruptions in the modernised “Liteko II” IT system, introduced on 1 June.

Despite the overall positive evaluation, the Commission warns of long-term risks to the system’s effectiveness. The primary concern is insufficient financial and human resources. Due to uncompetitive salaries, courts struggle to attract and retain qualified staff and judges, facing competition not only from the private sector but also from other public institutions.

The Commission stresses that sustainable funding is crucial to ensure the system can continue to operate effectively and retain skilled personnel.