Immunitet posła na Sejm na Litwie

Abstract

The article explores the scope of the immunity of a member of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas). As is known, parliamentarism is recognised as a value in a democratic society and a political culture. In order to properly implement parliamentarism, the constitution and laws should establish the guarantees for the members of the parliament, which allow them to perform their functions as representatives of the nation uninterruptedly and without hindrance. However, the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania only briefly states that the person of a member of the Parliament is inviolable. Given that, this study analyses the constitutional jurisprudence and legal doctrine of Lithuania and other EU Member States, by focusing on the concept and meaning of the immunity of a member of the parliament. The findings of the study indicate that parliamentary immunity in Lithuania is unique and goes beyond the immunity enjoyed by judges. The results of this research may also have implications for developing the studies of parliamentarism in Lithuanian and foreign constitutional law.