Lithuania to draft laws defining court operations during wartime

Lithuania’s Ministry of Justice will propose legal amendments to regulate court operations in the event of war, Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė announced on Wednesday, LRT reports.

The initiative follows a recent drone threat that temporarily disrupted court proceedings across southeastern Lithuania after authorities declared—and later lifted—an air danger alert. Courts in affected regions suspended hearings during the two-hour incident.

“We’ve again stressed in our political team that we must not delay drafting the missing legal frameworks for court operations during wartime,” Tamašunienė told journalists. She noted that wartime conditions raise unique legal challenges, including looting, draft evasion, compensation for damages, and evidence documentation. “We need laws ensuring justice continues even if ‘X hour’ arrives,” she said.

The ministry’s International Relations Department will consult Ukrainian judicial authorities, who have operated under wartime conditions since 2022. “We’ll use their tested practical experience to form an inter-agency working group and prepare a draft for parliament,” the minister explained. She has also discussed the issue with Danguolė Bublienė, chair of Lithuania’s Council of Judges.

On Wednesday, Lithuanian authorities briefly declared an air threat in six eastern and southeastern districts after detecting an unmanned aerial vehicle near the Belarusian border. The drone later entered Lithuanian airspace before disappearing near the southern town of Merkine.