NEWS

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.

On July 4–5, Vilnius hosted the annual 37th international conference Baltic Criminological Seminar. Organized by the Lithuanian Association of Criminologists in collaboration with the Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, as well as the Faculties of Philosophy and Law at Vilnius University, the conference brought together over 70 researchers and other participants interested in criminology to share their research and academic work.

The presentations delivered during the conference covered a wide range of topics reflecting current challenges and directions in criminological research both within the Baltic region and internationally. On the first day of the conference, discussions addressed penal policy, gender aspects across different legal systems, juvenile delinquency, and issues related to the enforcement of sentences in custodial institutions. Speakers from various countries – including Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, and Finland – shared insights on the Baltic region’s role in the global context of prison research and explored topics such as restorative justice, quality of life, and systemic challenges in responding to violence against marginalized groups.

The second day of the conference focused on analyses of prevention, public security, law enforcement, and contemporary criminal justice measures from a criminological perspective. Topics discussed included judicial decision-making motivation, the prospects of applying mediation in criminal justice in Lithuania, court practices related to animal protection, and others.

The conference concluded with an open discussion titled “The Baltic Criminology Seminar: From Past to Future”, which offered reflections on the development and future prospects of this academic network. This annual event continues to contribute to the advancement of interdisciplinary dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the growth of criminological thought in the region.

Photo of the organizers.

An open-access article by LCSS Law Institute researcher Artūras Tereškinas, titled “Emotion Management and Feeling Rules in Lithuanian Women’s Prison” has been published in the international scholarly journal SAGE Open. In this publication, the researcher explores the emotional environment of women serving sentences in Panevėžys Prison and examines the emotional skills they employ to maintain interpersonal relationships and express their attitudes toward everyday prison life.

The study was based on 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with incarcerated women. They were asked to share their views and experiences on a range of topics, including life before and after the offense, adaptation to prison conditions, emotional support from loved ones, and more.

The findings of the study revealed that women serving prison sentences in Panevėžys Prison experience a phenomenon referred to as emotional claustrophobia – a fear of emotional openness due to potential vulnerability. Despite this unwritten rule of emotional restraint, the research shows that social connections and communal activities formed within the prison help women build emotionally supportive peer groups that foster mutual empathy and compassion.

You can access the full article by Dr. A. Tereškinas here.