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On 17 October 2025, an international academic conference entitled “25 Years of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania: Strengthening the Interaction between European and National Human Rights Protection” took place at the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania. The conference marked a quarter-century anniversary of an institution which, since its establishment, has become a cornerstone of administrative justice in Lithuania.

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania was established on 14 January 1999 with the adoption of the Law on the Establishment of Administrative Courts and commenced its activities on 1 January 2001. Over this period, the Court has developed into a modern, European-oriented judicial institution, actively participating in judicial dialogue with the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, contributing to the shaping of human rights protection standards and strengthening the principle of the rule of law.

The conference was opened by Professor Dr Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, who, in his keynote address “A Bridge Between Two Worlds – the Preliminary Ruling Procedure”, emphasised the crucial role of national courts, particularly supreme courts, in ensuring the uniform application of European Union law. He highlighted the contribution of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania to fostering a culture of preliminary judicial dialogue.

“National courts are both the first line of defence and the final instance safeguarding the rights of individuals arising from European Union law,” he noted.

Dr Arnfinn Bårdsen, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, in his address “Subsidiarity and Shared Responsibility”, recalled the origins of the European Convention on Human Rights and underlined the essential role of national courts in ensuring the effective functioning of the Convention.

“Judicial independence is an indispensable condition for the existence of the rule of law — without it, neither the Convention system nor democracy itself can function,” he stressed.

The conference featured three thematic panel discussions, each addressing different dimensions of administrative justice.

The first panel, “National Courts’ Experience: Human Rights Protection in Different Legal Systems”, brought together judges from Germany, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania: Professor Dr Andreas Korbmacher (President of the Federal Administrative Court of Germany), Professor habil. Dr Jacek Chlebny (President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland), Judge Veronika Krūmiņa (Judge of the Constitutional Court of Latvia), and Professor Dr Skirgailė Žalimienė (President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania). The discussion examined how administrative courts in different countries balance individual rights and the public interest in areas such as deprivation of citizenship, national security, environmental protection and social policy. Participants explored the application of the proportionality test when restricting individual rights in pursuit of state interests. It was emphasised that human rights protection cannot be fragmented and must be grounded in shared European principles, while judicial dialogue between national and international courts is essential to ensure the consistent application of those principles. The discussion also highlighted the importance of judicial activism — the ability not only to apply the law, but also to interpret it in a value-oriented manner in response to contemporary democratic challenges.

The second panel, “Cooperation between European Institutions and National Courts”, focused on partnerships between international and national courts, particularly the operation of the preliminary reference mechanism. Participants included Professor Dr Egidijus Kūris, Professor Dr Gediminas Sagatys, Professor Dr Vytautas Mizaras and Professor Dr Irmantas Jarukaitis. The discussion addressed the interaction between constitutional law and European Union law, the duty of loyalty of national courts to the EU legal order, and the importance of judicial independence in ensuring effective judicial protection. The participants agreed that preliminary dialogue between national courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union is not a mere technical formality, but an expression of constitutional responsibility that strengthens the foundations of the rule of law. It was stressed that judicial cooperation must be based on mutual trust, and that courts contribute not only by applying the law, but also by shaping it, thereby promoting the harmonisation of human rights protection standards across Europe.

The third panel, “Academic Perspectives: Dialogue between Scholarship and Practice”, brought together the perspectives of scholars and judges on the development of administrative justice and its underlying values. The panel featured academics from Italy, Lithuania and Germany: Professor Dr Stefan Kadelbach, Professor Dr Haroldas Šinkūnas, Professor Dr Eleanor Spaventa, Professor Dr Jurgita Paužaitė-Kulvinskienė and Professor Dr Eglė Bilevičiūtė. The discussion addressed the limits of application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, judicial review of acts of public authority, and the role of administrative courts in shaping legal culture and safeguarding the rule of law. It was emphasised that administrative justice must be capable of responding to politically sensitive situations without relinquishing judicial review, and that judges have a duty to provide reasoned decisions even in complex constitutional contexts. The participants agreed that administrative justice must be not only effective, but also value-driven, and that the interaction between academic scholarship and judicial practice is a necessary condition for its continued development.

All three discussions demonstrated that contemporary administrative justice is inseparable from the European legal context, and that its strength lies in its ability to combine national experience with international human rights protection standards. Courts, acting as independent yet jointly responsible institutions, serve as a vital link between the law and societal expectations.

In closing the conference, Professor Dr Skirgailė Žalimienė, President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania, emphasised that the event not only marked the anniversary of the institution, but also reinforced a shared commitment to human rights protection in Europe.

“Administrative justice today is inseparable from the European legal context, and judicial cooperation is an essential condition for the strength of a democratic state. We are not merely celebrating 25 years — we are reaffirming our shared responsibility: for human rights, for the rule of law, and for the European legal space,” she stated.

The conference “25 Years of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania: Strengthening the Interaction between European and National Human Rights Protection” was organised by the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, the Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania, and the National Courts Administration.