In her 2011 report submitted to the Cabinet of ministers, Baltutytė emphasized that the ruling the Strasbourg court handed down back in 2007 was yet to be executed.
Lithuania then lost the case, as it had not adopted a special law on sex change envisaged in the Civil Code. The law still does not exist, although the government's representative has been raising the problem for the past few years.
In Baltutytė's words, legal gaps have been partly filled by Lithuanian courts that are satisfying pleas of individuals and authorizing changes in personal data following sex change operations abroad and awarding compensation of damages. However, this is not enough, Baltutytė said.
"It is crucial to take immediate measures for efficient execution of the Court ruling in the L. case, as the existing legal gap allows applying to Lithuanian courts for compensation of damages, and the probability also remains for recognition of repeated violations of the Convention (for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms)," reads the report.
In 2008, Lithuania paid 40,000 euros in material damages and 5,000 in non-pecuniary damages to L. who had won the Strasbourg case against Lithuani. However, legal experts have repeatedly stressed the need to improve the legal regulation of the matter. Changes to the Civil Code have been drafted by the Justice Ministry a few years ago, however, it is yet to be propounded to the government.
The court last year established at least one violation of the convention in nine cases, including five times over procrastinated judicial proceedings.
In Baltutytė's opinion, the situation could be improved by adopting an amendment to the Civil Code, which would directly stipulate a right to compensation of damages caused by extended investigation or long court proceedings.
"The bill is still awaiting discussion at the Seimas," reads the report.
