Lithuania
CHAPTER 2 THE HUMAN BEING AND THE STATE

Article 22
The private life of a human being shall be inviolable. Personal correspondence, telephone conversations, telegraph messages, and other communications shall be inviolable. Information concerning the private life of a person may be collected only upon a justified court decision and only in accordance with the law. The law and the court shall protect everyone from arbitrary or unlawful interference in his private and family life, from encroachment upon his honour and dignity.

Article 31
A person shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty and must be declared guilty by an effective court judgement in accordance with the procedure established by law. A person charged with the commission of a crime shall have the right to a fair public hearing of his case by an independent and impartial court. It shall be prohibited to compel to give evidence against oneself or against one’s family members or close relatives. Punishment may be imposed or applied only on the grounds established in law. No one may be punished a second time for the same crime. A person suspected of the commission of a crime or an accused, from the moment of his detention or first interrogation, shall be guaranteed the right to defence as well as the right to have an advocate.

CHAPTER 3 SOCIETY AND THE STATE

Article 38
The family shall be the basis of society and the State. The State shall protect and take care of family, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood. Marriage shall be concluded upon the free mutual consent of man and woman. The State shall register marriage, birth, and death. The State shall also recognise a church’s registration of marriage. In the family, the rights of spouses shall be equal. The right and duty of parents is to bring up their children to be honest people and faithful citizens and to support them until they come of age. The duty of children is to respect their parents, to take care of them in old age, and to treasure their heritage.

Article 39
The State shall take care of families that are raising and bringing up children at home and shall render them support in accordance with the procedure established by law. For working mothers, the law shall provide for paid leave before and after childbirth and for favourable working conditions and other preferences. The law shall protect children who are under age.

CHAPTER 8 THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

Article 111
The courts of the Republic of Lithuania shall be the Supreme Court of Lithuania, the Court of Appeal of Lithuania, regional and local courts. For the consideration of administrative, labour, family and other categories of cases, specialised courts may be established pursuant to law. Courts with extraordinary powers may not be established in the Republic of Lithuania in a time of peace. The formation and competence of courts shall be established by the Law on Courts of the Republic of Lithuania.

Article 117
In all courts, the consideration of cases shall be public. A closed court sitting may be held in order to protect the secrecy of private life of the human being or his family, also if the public consideration of the case may disclose a State, professional, or commercial secret. In the Republic of Lithuania, court proceedings shall be conducted in the State language. Persons who do not speak Lithuanian shall be guaranteed the right to participate in investigation and judicial acts through a translator.

CHAPTER 13 FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENCE OF THE STATE

Article 146
The State shall take care of and provide for servicemen who lost their health during military service, as well as for the families of servicemen who lost their lives or died during military service. The State shall also provide for citizens who lost their health while defending the State, and for the families of citizens who lost their lives or died while defending the State.