Editing Lithuania (section)

===Law and law enforcement===
{{Main|Law of Lithuania}}
[[File:Statut Vialikaha Kniastva Litoŭskaha. Статут Вялікага Княства Літоўскага (1588) (2).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Statutes of Lithuania]] were the central piece of Lithuanian law in 1529–1795.]]
The first attempt to [[Codification (law)|codify]] the Lithuanian laws was in 1468 when the [[Casimir's Code]] was compiled and adopted by Grand Duke [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]].<ref name="LawVle">{{cite web |last1=Matulienė |first1=Snieguolė |last2=Spruogis |first2=Ernestas |title=Lietuvos teisės šaltiniai |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-teises-saltiniai/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=22 February 2022 |language=lt |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222211158/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-teises-saltiniai/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In the 16th century three editions of the [[Statutes of Lithuania]] were created with the First Statute being adopted in 1529, the Second Statute in 1566, and the Third Statute in 1588.<ref name="LawVle" /> On 3 May 1791, the Europe's first and the world's second [[Constitution of 3 May 1791|Constitution]] was adopted by the [[Great Sejm]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/geguzes-treciosios-konstitucija/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=22 February 2022 |language=lt |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222211200/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/geguzes-treciosios-konstitucija/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Third Statute was partly in force in the territory of Lithuania even until 1840, despite the [[Partitions of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Third Partition of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] in 1795.<ref name="LawVle" />

In 1934–1935, Lithuania held the [[Trial of Neumann and Sass|first mass trial of the Nazis in Europe]], the [[Conviction|convicted]] were sentenced to imprisonment in a [[Penal labour|heavy labor prison]] and [[capital punishment]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gliožaitis |first1=Algirdas |title=Neumanno-Sasso byla |trans-title=The Case of Neumann-Sass |url=https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/neumanno-sasso-byla |website=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija |access-date=12 February 2022 |language=lt |archive-date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212210419/https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/neumanno-sasso-byla |url-status=live}}</ref>

After regaining of independence in 1990, the largely modified Soviet legal codes were in force for about a decade. The current [[Constitution of Lithuania]] was adopted on 25 October 1992.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos Konstitucija|url=http://www3.lrs.lt/home/Konstitucija/Konstitucija.htm|website=lrs.lt|access-date=17 February 2018|archive-date=12 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612091928/https://www.lrs.lt/home/Konstitucija/Konstitucija.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2001, the [[Civil Code of Lithuania]] was passed in [[Seimas]]. It was succeeded by the [[Criminal Code]] and [[Criminal Procedure]] Code in 2003. The approach to the [[criminal law]] is [[inquisitorial]], as opposed to [[Adversarial system|adversarial]]; it is generally characterised by an insistence on formality and rationalisation, as opposed to practicality and informality. Normative legal act enters into force on the next day after its publication in the ''Teisės aktų registras'', unless it has a later entry into force date.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nuo 2014 m. sausio 1 d. teisės aktai oficialiai skelbiami Teisės aktų registre|url=http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=4443&p_d=143651&p_k=1|website=3.lrs.lt|access-date=24 February 2018|language=lt|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623223041/https://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=4443&p_d=143651&p_k=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[European Union law]] is an integral part of the Lithuanian legal system since 1 May 2004.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nacionalinės teisės aktų derinimo su Europos Sąjungos teise metodiniai nurodymai|url=http://www.etd.lt/index.php?189546198|website=etd.lt|access-date=22 October 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090653/http://www.etd.lt/index.php?189546198|archive-date=18 February 2018}}</ref>

Lithuania, after breaking away from the Soviet Union, had a difficult crime situation, however, the Lithuanian law enforcement agencies fought crime over the years, making Lithuania a reasonably safe country.<ref>{{cite web|title=LRT dokumentikos ciklas "Nematoma Lietuvos istorija" – apie valstybės pergalę prieš mafiją|url=http://www.lrt.lt/televizija/anonsai/22093/lrt-dokumentikos-ciklas-nematoma-lietuvos-istorija-apie-valstybes-pergale-pries-mafija|website=LRT|access-date=5 September 2016|language=lt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223636/http://www.lrt.lt/televizija/anonsai/22093/lrt-dokumentikos-ciklas-nematoma-lietuvos-istorija-apie-valstybes-pergale-pries-mafija|archive-date=28 February 2018}}</ref> Crime in Lithuania has been declining rapidly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21469|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170508011825/https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=21469|archive-date=8 May 2017|title=Lithuania 2017 Crime & Safety Report|date=8 May 2017}}</ref> Law enforcement in Lithuania is primarily the responsibility of local ''Lietuvos policija'' (Lithuanian Police) commissariats. They are supplemented by the ''Lietuvos policijos antiteroristinių operacijų rinktinė Aras'' (Anti-Terrorist Operations Team of the Lithuanian Police ''Aras''), ''Lietuvos kriminalinės policijos biuras'' (Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau), ''Lietuvos policijos kriminalistinių tyrimų centras'' (Lithuanian Police Forensic Research Center) and ''Lietuvos kelių policijos tarnyba'' (Lithuanian Road Police Service).<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos policija|url=https://policija.lrv.lt/|website=policija.lrv.lt|access-date=31 March 2018|language=lt|archive-date=30 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630082829/https://policija.lrv.lt/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Lithuanian Police A6 (2018).jpg|thumb|left|Lithuanian police cruiser in [[Gediminas Avenue]], Vilnius]]
In 2017, there were 63,846 crimes registered in Lithuania. Of these, thefts comprised a large part with 19,630 cases (13.2% less than in 2016). While 2,835 crimes were serious and very serious (crimes that may lead to more than six years imprisonment), which is 14.5% less than in 2016. In total, 129 homicides or attempted homicide occurred (19.9% less than in 2016), while serious bodily harm was registered 178 times (17.6% less than in 2016). Another problematic crime [[contraband]] cases also decreased by 27.2% from 2016 numbers. Meanwhile, crimes in electronic data and information technology security fields noticeably increased by 26.6%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Užregistruota ir ištirta nusikalstamų veikų (2017 / Sausis – Gruodis)|url=https://www.ird.lt/lt/paslaugos/nusikalstamu-veiku-zinybinio-registro-nvzr-paslaugos/ataskaitos-1/nusikalstamumo-ir-ikiteisminiu-tyrimu-statistika-1/view_item_datasource?id=6763&datasource=18743|website=Ird.lt|access-date=31 March 2018|language=lt|archive-date=1 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190249/https://www.ird.lt/lt/paslaugos/nusikalstamu-veiku-zinybinio-registro-nvzr-paslaugos/ataskaitos-1/nusikalstamumo-ir-ikiteisminiu-tyrimu-statistika-1/view_item_datasource?id=6763&datasource=18743|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2013 Special Eurobarometer, 29% of Lithuanians said that corruption affects their daily lives (EU average 26%). Moreover, 95% of Lithuanians regarded corruption as widespread in their country (EU average 76%), and 88% agreed that bribery and the use of connections is often the easiest way of obtaining certain public services (EU average 73%).<ref>{{cite book|title=Lithuania's EU Anti-Corruption Report|date=2014|publisher=European Commission|location=Brussels|pages=2–3|url=https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/organized-crime-and-human-trafficking/corruption/anti-corruption-report/docs/2014_acr_lithuania_chapter_en.pdf|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122240/https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/organized-crime-and-human-trafficking/corruption/anti-corruption-report/docs/2014_acr_lithuania_chapter_en.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Though, according to local branch of Transparency International, corruption levels have been decreasing over the past decade.<ref>{{cite web|title=Korupcija Lietuvoje: prarandame milijonus, jei ne milijardus|url=http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/salies-pulsas/korupcija-lietuvoje-prarandame-milijonus-jei-ne-milijardus-733110|website=kauno.diena.lt|date=7 February 2016|access-date=7 February 2016|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627233814/https://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/salies-pulsas/korupcija-lietuvoje-prarandame-milijonus-jei-ne-milijardus-733110|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Capital punishment in Lithuania]] was suspended in 1996 and eliminated in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|title=Siūlymas grąžinti mirties bausmę pripažintas prieštaraujančiu Konstitucijai|url=https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/siulymas-grazinti-mirties-bausme-pripazintas-priestaraujanciu-konstitucijai.d?id=62993028|website=DELFI.lt|access-date=9 October 2013|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417181834/https://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/siulymas-grazinti-mirties-bausme-pripazintas-priestaraujanciu-konstitucijai.d?id=62993028|url-status=live}}</ref> Lithuania has the highest number of prison inmates in the EU. According to scientist Gintautas Sakalauskas, this is not because of a high criminality rate in the country, but due to Lithuania's high repression level and the lack of trust of the convicted, who are frequently sentenced to imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kuo mažiau pasitikėjimo, tuo pilnesni kalėjimai: Lietuva kalinių skaičiumi pirmauja|url=https://www.lzinios.lt/lzinios/lietuva/kuo-maziau-pasitikejimo-tuo-pilnesni-kalejimai-lietuva-kaliniu-skaiciumi-pirmauja/248403|website=LZINIOS.lt|access-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812032325/http://lzinios.lt/lzinios/Lietuva/kuo-maziau-pasitikejimo-tuo-pilnesni-kalejimai-lietuva-kaliniu-skaiciumi-pirmauja/248403|archive-date=12 August 2017}}</ref>