On 15 October, Dr Agnė Limantė, Chief Researcher at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, participated in a meeting of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania (Seimas), where she delivered a presentation entitled “Parental Child Abduction Cases in the Practice of Lithuanian Courts.” Dr Limantė was invited to this meeting, which focused on assessing the best interests of the child and ensuring appropriate assistance in cases of cross-border child abduction, for a reason: the researcher has conducted several studies in the field of private international family law and published academic works on child abduction.

In her presentation, Dr Limantė provided statistics on the number of children who are allegedly abducted to or from Lithuania each year, discussed the international legal instruments governing such situations, and elaborated on the grounds for non-return of a child that Lithuanian courts typically rely upon when adjudicating these cases.

According to Dr Limantė, most cases heard by Lithuanian courts concern children where at least one parent is Lithuanian and had at some point moved abroad to live and work. After the relationship between the parents breaks down, one of them often returns to Lithuania with the child without the other parent’s consent. The left-behind parent then has the right to apply to the court for the child’s return to his/her habitual residence. These situations are governed by two international legal instruments – the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the Brussels IIb Regulation.

The main principle under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is the prompt return of a wrongfully removed or retained child to their State of habitual residence. Under the Convention, the child should first be returned to the country of habitual residence, where the competent court will decide with which parent the child should reside. Thus, as Dr Limantė explained, a return proceeding can be seen as an ‘interim procedure’ – it concerns only the child’s return and not the determination of custody rights.

However, Article 13 of the Convention also provides grounds for refusing the child’s return, for example, when it is established that the other parent consented to the child’s removal, or when returning the child would expose him or her to physical or psychological harm, or otherwise place the child in an intolerable situation. An important principle duly followed by Lithuanian courts in such proceedings is the child’s right to be heard and to have his or her opinion taken into account.

Dr. Ingrida Kerušauskaitė, a senior research fellow at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, participated in the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, which took place on 31st of August – 7th of September at Jesus College, University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

The Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime is hosted by Jesus College within the University of Cambridge, with the support of many governmental and academic institutions around the world. Over more than forty years, the Symposium has established itself as a leading forum for the discussion and analysis of issues related to economically motivated crime and misconduct and its prevention and control. In recent years, the symposium has attracted around 2,000 participants including public officials, multilateral and non-governmental organisation staff, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, legislators, financial intermediaries and their advisers, compliance and technology personnel, legal and accounting practitioners and academics, from over 100 countries. This year, the Symposium focused on cross-border crime.

Dr Kerušauskaitė played various roles in the Symposium. On Tuesday the 2nd of September, she spoke on the alternative programme on the ‘International networks for the study of economic crime (INSEC)’, discussing the challenges and benefits of commissioned research projects. Dr Kerušauskaitė raised issues relating to publication requirements and confidentiality, political influence and conflicting academic and project timelines. She also highlighted the benefits of commissioned research being more likely to influence policymaking, and benefits relating to access to key stakeholders and data.

Dr Kerušauskaitė curated the alternative programme on Wednesday the 3rd of September, on ‘Strategic corruption, illicit finance and foreign interference’. Dr Kerušauskaitė delivered opening remarks for the alternative programme, introducing the complex and increasingly relevant themes to a diverse audience of speakers and participants from around the globe, including prosecutors, law enforcement representatives, government officials, journalists, academics, non-government organisation representatives, as well as private sector banking, legal and investment professionals. Dr Kerušauskaitė’s remarks drew from her recently published article ‘Practical Challenges Mitigating Strategic Corruption’, co-authored with Professor Caryn Peiffer, as well as her on-going research agenda on strategic corruption.

On Saturday the 6th of September, as part of session 21 of the Symposium’s programme focusing on ‘New approaches to fighting cross-border crime’, Dr Kerušauskaitė discussed her work on moving beyond the overly simplistic discussions of political will in the context of corruption. Dr Kerušauskaitė presented her Octopus framework to deconstruct the drivers and blockers of effective action against corruption.

On Sunday the 7th of September, together with Ruta Nimkar, she co-convened a think tank session on ‘Following the money in irregular migration’. Symposium think tank sessions discuss underexplored issues relating to financial crime and jointly plan research pathways and avenues on emerging topics. The discussions served to identify future research avenues and potential collaboration opportunities among the think tank session’s participants.

Finally, Dr Kerušauskaitė was honoured to deliver the vote of thanks at the Symposium formal dinner on Wednesday the 3rd of September.

The Symposium is a truly unique avenue that provides opportunities for both formal and in-depth informal engagement among leading counter-financial crime experts globally. Diverse expertise shared and networks established and strengthened at such fora provide crucial resources for international collaboration and future research.

The 25th annual international criminology conference “EUROCRIM 2025” proved to be an excellent platform for academic collaboration and exchange of ideas – researchers from the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LSMC) actively participated in the event.

This year, the conference took place in Athens on September 3–6, where the Institute's team – Dr Rūta Vaičiūnienė, Dr Monika Žalnieriūtė, and Dr Skirmantas Bikelis – presented the results of their ongoing research and strengthened opportunities for cooperation with international partners.

In her presentation “Predictive AI in Criminal Justice: Beyond Poor Algorithmic”, Dr Monika Žalnieriūtė discussed how predictive artificial intelligence tools can lead to biased institutional decisions, including those within the criminal justice system. She emphasized that automated decisions based on biased data also contribute to increased social stigma, often affecting marginalized social groups. This means that instead of reducing inequality, AI often reinforces it. According to Dr Žalnieriūtė, the inclusion of socio-economic characteristics in the decision-making process of predictive systems results in an even more selective criminal justice system, systematically targeting certain societal groups and limiting their social, economic, and political opportunities.

Dr Rūta Vaičiūnienė participated in a discussion on the development of criminology in the Baltic States over the past 25 years, where she and her colleagues from Estonia and Poland discussed the strengthening of academic communities, the expansion of research centers, and the main research directions in the region. At the end of the discussion, particular attention was given to the issue of the identity of Baltic criminology and its future perspectives. Following the discussion, researchers explored opportunities for joint publications and ideas for collaborative project proposals. Dr Vaičiūnienė also took part in various activities of the European Society of Criminology’s Prison Research Network, including thematic sessions and meetings organized by the group.

Meanwhile, Dr Skirmantas Bikelis participated in the session “Recent Legislative and Policy Developments on Non-conviction-based Confiscation in Europe”, where he presented his research titled “Confiscation of Illicit Flows: Two Far-Reaching Models from Baltic States”. In it, he analyzed recent confiscation practices in Lithuania and Latvia targeting assets laundered through illicit financial flows. In Lithuania, confiscation of such assets through the civil law concept of ownerless property is highly effective, and so far, no major objections have been raised against this innovation. In Latvia, confiscation of suspected laundered assets is applied even after the suspension of criminal proceedings for money laundering. Although this innovation is also considered highly effective and was upheld by the Latvian Constitutional Court in a recent 2025 ruling, it nonetheless raises concerns regarding compliance with the principles of fair trial and proportionality.

Dr Ingrida Kerušauskaitė, a senior research fellow at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS), participated in the 50th Annual Conference of the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA), which took place on 26-29 August in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The plenary sessions and discussions of the conference were devoted to the theme “EGPA at 50: Prospects for Public Administration across Europe”.

Dr Kerušauskaitė delivered a presentation on her working paper titled “Beyond the Black Box of Political Will: The Octopus Framework to Deconstruct the Drivers and Blockers of Effective Action against Corruption”. In her presentation, the researcher emphasized that political will is often cited as a core impediment to action against corruption – such as policy and legislative framework strengthening, regulation, investigation, prosecution and asset recovery. The concept is, however, loosely defined and poorly understood both in policy-making and academic literature.

Dr Kerušauskaitė’s paper argues that the concept of “political will” itself is unhelpful in identifying and addressing the causes for lack of appropriate legislative frameworks and their implementation. The concept is often used as a “catch-all” reason for lack of effective action. The working paper proposes to move away from the catch-all phrase of “political will” and determine the drivers and blockers of reform at a more granular and useful level. Instead, the paper introduces the Octopus framework to identify such drivers and blockers, that are often grouped under the generic term “political will”. This in turn can help craft more targeted interventions and direct more effective action against corruption.

The proposed Octopus framework delves into eight categories of drivers of policy reforms (or lack thereof): (1) personal interests and preferences; (2) political ideology and motivations; (3) issue prioritisation; (4) capacity and resources; (5) authority for action; (6) social contract; (7) social norms; and (8) (mis)communication.

Participation in the international conference gave the researcher an opportunity to discuss the significant yet under-researched aspect of corruption and anti-corruption work with leading global scholars on public administration, ethics and integrity. It also served to establish new partnerships for future projects and research areas.

A new article by researchers from the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Dr. Artūras Tereškinas and Dr. Rūta Vaičiūnienė, titled "Investing in Femininity: A Case Study of Incarcerated Women in Lithuania", has been published in the international academic journal "East European Politics and Societies".

The newly published study examines the experiences of women serving prison sentences in Panevėžys Prison, focusing on expressions of femininity, institutional refeminization, and resistance. The article highlights that women who commit crimes violate not only codified legal norms but also socially constructed gender roles associated with normative understandings of femininity. The prison, in this context, becomes an institution of control and discipline aimed at restoring denied femininity.

The findings of the qualitative study reveal that femininity among incarcerated women is practiced in various ways, including attention to physical appearance and personal hygiene. However, social status, family responsibilities, and motherhood also play a significant role. Although expressions of femininity are constrained by limited material resources, femininity is still perceived as a form of social capital, an investment, and a part of one's identity – and in some cases, as a means to ease the suffering caused by imprisonment or to express homoerotic desire.

The article is available in English here.

This summer, Dr. Raimonda Bublienė, a researcher at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences and the lead of the postdoctoral fellowship project “Multiple Discrimination and Labour Income: A Comparative Analysis of Legal Regulations in European Countries” (MEDALIC), undertook internships at two international research institutions.

From 20 June to 4 July, the researcher undertook an internship at the Academy of European Law (ERA), where she participated in the Academy’s summer course on European labour law. The course featured lectures by various labour law experts and included a study visit to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Participants had the opportunity to attend a hearing in a workplace discrimination case. During her internship in Germany, Dr. Raimonda Bublienė established valuable cooperation networks, made use of the Academy’s scholarly resources, and took part in other productive meetings.

Following her stay in Germany, from 15 to 22 July R. Bublienė visited the Equality Unit of the University of Vigo (Spain) (Unidad de Igualdad de la Universidad de Vigo). This unit is responsible for implementing equal opportunities policies within the university. Its staff also design, promote, monitor, and evaluate measures aimed at integrating the gender perspective into all areas of university life and community activities. During her internship, the researcher from the Law Institute presented her ongoing project and discussed potential avenues for further cooperation. Colleagues from the Equality Unit shared information about their activities, work practices, and the challenges they address concerning discrimination in employment and work income.

Last week (July 12–16), Dr Ingrida Kerušauskaitė-Palmer, a researcher at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSS), participated in the 28th World Congress of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) in Seoul, where she delivered a presentation titled “Unmasking Barriers: Practical Challenges Mitigating Strategic Corruption”.

In her presentation, she introduced the concept of strategic corruption — a deliberate, state-initiated or state-supported activity aimed at influencing other countries and advancing geopolitical goals. This form of corruption is distinct in its focus on foreign policy and subjects of international law.

Furthermore, the researcher discussed key obstacles to identifying and mitigating strategic corruption: organizational and legal gaps, lack of trust between institutions, and limited international cooperation. She emphasized that this form of corruption exploits the vulnerabilities of domestic institutions and can be used to undermine democratic governance.

Dr I. Kerušauskaitė-Palmer also addressed the tension between transparency and national security: while security services can play an effective role in combating strategic corruption, it is crucial to ensure transparency in anti-corruption measures and decision-making processes. The presentation also highlighted the difficulties in identifying long-term corruption schemes, especially those related to investments, lobbying, or control of strategic sectors.

Finally, the researcher stressed that strategic corruption is increasingly recognized as a growing part of hybrid threats to the state, posing risks to democracy and international security. Therefore, new response measures and partnerships are essential to effectively counter it.

Dr Ingrida Kerušauskaitė-Palmer, a researcher at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, together with her colleague Dr Caryn Peiffer from the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), published an article titled "Practical Challenges Mitigating Strategic Corruption" in the international academic journal Public Integrity. In this article, the authors examine how foreign states use corruption to achieve geopolitical objectives and discuss necessary resilience measures that help ensure the stability and security of democratic institutions.

The article explores two key areas relevant to the study of strategic corruption. First, it analyzes conceptual challenges related to defining the notion of strategic corruption. Second, it focuses on practical aspects – the difficulties institutions face when addressing this complex form of corruption in practice.

The article identifies several major practical challenges: incorporating the new concept into institutional frameworks; obstacles to international cooperation in identifying strategic corruption and holding those involved accountable; vulnerabilities within domestic institutions that create favorable conditions for corrupt schemes; and the need to balance transparency with national security requirements, among other issues.

The open-access article in English is available here.

In late May 2025, Dr Monika Žalnieriūtė, a researcher at the Law Institute, participated in the 18th international conference "The World Is Watching", held in Brussels, Belgium. The event was organized by Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP), an annual platform that brings together scholars from various disciplines, legal professionals, practitioners, policymakers, and members of the public from around the world to exchange ideas and discuss pressing issues in the field of modern technologies.

During the conference, Dr M. Žalnieriūtė joined four international scholars in a panel discussion titled “The Use of AI by the Judiciary in LatAm Countries: Hallucination or Opportunity?”. The session explored the latest developments in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in Latin American judicial systems, highlighting success stories, regulatory gaps, and ethical dilemmas arising from the implementation of advanced technologies in the justice sector.

In addition, Dr M. Žalnieriūtė took part in thematic workshops focused on the governance of algorithms and AI. These sessions paid particular attention to the risks of misinformation generation by AI models, as well as the challenges of ensuring fairness and transparency—and the broader implications these issues may have on judicial processes.

The article “‘Everything is fine’: Integration and punishment experiences of Lithuanian immigrant offenders in England” by Dr. Simonas Nikartas, a researcher at the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, was published in the international journal Probation Journal.

The new publication explores the experiences of Lithuanian emigrants convicted in England. Based on an empirical study, the article draws on qualitative data to examine how Lithuanian offenders navigate integration and punishment in the host country and society. The findings reveal that tendencies toward criminal behavior often emerge at the intersection of early life experiences, social exclusion, addiction, and cultural barriers. During imprisonment, individuals face cultural and language-related challenges, which in turn lead them to seek support not through local services, but within their own ethnic communities.

You can find the article in English here.