Hein Online

Straipsnyje analizuojama laikinojo nuosavybės teisių apribojimo baudžiamajame procese taikymo ir dėl šios procesinės prievartos priemonės galinčios kilti žalos atlyginimo problematika. Nors laikinas nuosavybės teisių apribojimas yra reikšminga baudžiamojo proceso priemonė, skirta užtikrinti galimą nusikalstama veika padarytos žalos atlyginimą, turto konfiskavimą bei kitų baudžiamojo proceso tikslų įgyvendinimą, jo taikymas kartu reikšmingai riboja konstituciškai saugomą asmens nuosavybės teisę ir gali sukelti reikšmingų ekonominių bei socialinių padarinių tiek fiziniams, tiek juridiniams asmenims. Ypač aktuali problema tampa tais atvejais, kai ši priemonė taikoma ilgą laiką, o baudžiamasis procesas vėliau nutraukiamas arba priimamas išteisinamasis nuosprendis. Straipsnyje, taikant dokumentų analizės, sisteminį, loginį analitinį, lingvistinį ir lyginamosios analizės metodus, vertinamas Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamojo proceso kodekso 151 straipsnyje įtvirtintas teisinis reguliavimas bei jo santykis su valstybės civilinės atsakomybės instituto taikymu pagal Lietuvos Respublikos civilinio kodekso 6.272 straipsnį. Lyginamosios analizės pagrindu nagrinėjamas Vokietijos teisinis modelis, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant baudžiamojo persekiojimo priemonėmis padarytos žalos atlyginimo įstatyme įtvirtintam kompensavimo mechanizmui, jo doktrininiam aiškinimui bei teismų praktikoje suformuotiems proporcingumo, nuosavybės apsaugos ir vadinamosios ypatingos aukos doktrinos taikymo kriterijams. Tyrimo rezultatai leidžia daryti išvadą, kad Lietuvos žalos atlyginimo modelis laikinojo nuosavybės teisių apribojimo atvejais išlieka fragmentiškas ir priklausomas nuo bendrųjų civilinės atsakomybės sąlygų įrodinėjimo, o tai apsunkina veiksmingos pažeistų asmens teisių gynybos užtikrinimą. Vokietijos teisinė patirtis atskleidžia specialaus kompensavimo mechanizmo reikšmę siekiant užtikrinti pusiausvyrą tarp baudžiamojo proceso tikslų ir nuosavybės teisės apsaugos bei sudaro prielaidas svarstyti aiškesnio ir nuoseklesnio žalos atlyginimo modelio tobulinimą Lietuvos teisėje.

The growing threat of terrorism raises the question of punishing not only the perpetrators of terrorist acts, but also the instigators. This article presents a comparative analysis of criminal legislation on incitement to terrorism and itsenforcement in three jurisdictions: Lithuania, Germany and France. The aim of the work is to enrich the theoretical analysis of legislation on countering incitement to terrorism, with the possibility of applying theoretical results in practice by thelegislator and law enforcement. The objectives of the research are to analyse the approaches used by jurisdictions to prohibit incitement to terrorism, how exactly this legislation is applied, what problems law enforcement faces, and to formulate recommendations for solving them. The main research methods are the formal-legal method, as well as comparative legal methods. In conclusion, it can be noted that both Lithuania and France establish a special ban on incitement to terrorism (using different wording). However, while in Lithuania the article on incitement to terrorism is not applied in practice, in France it is actively applied and becomes the subject of criticism for excessive criminalisation of speech. At the same time,in Germany there is only a general ban on incitement to crime.

Maximisation of the value of assets is one of the general principles of insolvency law, though its application in cross-border insolvency proceedings remains obscure. This article focuses on the importance of this principle and its effects when main and secondary insolvency proceedings are opened. Since insolvency law should not only establish the legal framework of debt enforcement but also provide effective mechanisms to maximise creditors’ returns, the question arises of how value maximisation should be attained when the assets of a debtor are located in different jurisdictions. This article analyses how the existing European legal framework of cross-border insolvency proceedings addresses the questions of treatment of assets, and whether it allows effective administration and realisation of the assets. In addition, it deals with challenges in the formation of insolvency estates when both main and secondary insolvency proceedings are opened; in particular, the powers of insolvency practitioners to recover assets that are removed from the respective insolvency estates of such proceedings. The research revealed that maximisation of the value of assets guides cross-border insolvency proceedings, and is important in resolving the questions pertaining to the treatment of assets which arise in these proceedings.

This paper analyses the legal and moral tensions between religious rights and the rights of sexual minorities, focusing on two cases: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission before the United States Supreme Court and Gareth Lee v. The United Kingdom (Application no. 18860/19) before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Both cases involve Christian-owned bakeries refusing to create cakes supporting same-sex marriage or the rights of sexual minorities, citing religious beliefs. By analysing these caseswithin a broader legal and societal context, this research aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion on how courts navigate tensions between religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights.The methods of analysis of legal acts, comparative, logical, and summarising methods were used in this article. Results of research show that courts and international bodies of human rights in thesecases must navigate complex intersections of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and equality norms, while being mindful ofthe social and political contexts in which these disputes arise. Ultimately, the developing jurisprudence in this area suggests that no uniform solution is likely to emerge soon; instead, courts will continue to approach such conflicts on a case-by-case basis, weighing the competing rights at stake and the proportionality of any limitations imposed.

Employee stock option plans are increasingly common within multinational enterprises (MNE), used as tools to attract and retain talent. In many cases, the shares granted to the employees are not from the employer itself, but rather from another entity in the group, usually the parent. The paper aims to assess such employee stock option plans (ESOP) arm’s length nature (or rationale), as this is perceived by the authors to be a fundamental step towards determining if (and how) any intra-group compensation is due. This aim is explored through the accurate delineation of the transaction and through the subsequent impact of this exercise on the frame of an eventual separate or aggregated compensation for an employee stock option plan. The paper is based on a comparative law assessment and especially focuses on the OECD, particularly Latvian and Lithuanian perspectives, and contributes to increased tax and legal certainty to MNEs operating in the selected jurisdictions, and to the overall operators of the tax systems therein. The analysis carried out indicates that such an ESOP is likely to be framed either as a form of service provision (priceable condition) or as a mere shareholder activity (non-priceable circumstance).

This article analyses the genesis and apparent contradiction between different human rights, specifically, the right to education and national minority rights, through the lens of the best interests of the child. The innovative concept of the protection of the best interests of the child allows for a different approach and a fair balance to be struck between values such as the equality of the individual in society and the need to preserve national identity on one hand and, on the other hand, the extent to which the quality of the right to education affects the balance between these values. The article’s objective is to examine the thesis that the legal framework of the right to education does not include a child’s integral right to basic education in their native language if it is not the official state language. The rights to education in one’s native language in Latvia and Lithuania are not identical concepts, emphasising the role of children’s education in building civic society and ensuring democratic processes. In this article, we distinguish and identify the ‘traditional’ or ‘autochthonous’ national minorities and their rights and legal expectations, at the same time illustrating the legally nuanced collisions regarding the correct use of the term ‘national minority’ and its applicability to a state’s obligations to protect the rights of national minorities.

Resolving conflict of interest in public service is one of the key mechanisms for combating corruption. Its principles are defined in international legal documents. The United Nations (UN) Convention Against Corruption states that each State Party should strive, in accordance with the fundamental principles of its domestic law, to establish, maintain and strengthensystems that promote transparency and prevent the appearance of conflict of interest. All State Partiesshall endeavour to establish, maintainandstrengthen measures that promote transparency and prevent conflicts of interest, in accordance with the fundamental principles of their domestic law. The article raises the problem that the confusing legal regulation and the variety of situations that arise in public service result in public servants not always correctly identifyingconflictsof interest, not avoidingconflicts of public and private interests,andpersons who have ceased to work in the public service not complyingwith restrictions on work, restrictions on concluding contracts or using individual benefits,andrestrictions on representation. The aim of this article is to reveal the peculiarities of the legal regulation of conflict of interest, to analyse means of resolving conflicts of interest in the public service and restrictions for post-public servants in Ukraine and Lithuania. The authors set outa number of tasks in the article: (i) to define the concept of conflict of interest in the public service; (ii) to identify means of resolving conflictsof interest in the public service in Ukraine and Lithuania; (iii) to compare the restrictions (limitations) for post-public servants in each country. The research methods employed included: (i) comparative method, comparing the regulations on conflict of interest in each country; (ii) generalisation method, to formulate conclusions; (iii) document analysis method, focusing on the legal acts and documents of Ukraine and Lithuania; (iv) statisticalmethod, to reveal the number of investigation identifying conflictsof interest in public officials' activities.

This article examines the specific features of trainingforentry-level police officers in various European countries and Ukraine, with particular attention to the development of forensic competencies required for responding to criminal acts and working at crime scenes. The study analysesthe structure of training programmes across different countries, focusing on how forensic training is integrated, whether forensic topics are directly linked to officers’ initial roles, the extent to which professional duties influence the scope of forensic instruction and the balance between theoretical and practical knowledge. The findings indicate that although different European countries and Ukraine apply diverse models for preparingofficers, they all ensure that future officers acquire essential forensic knowledge and develop the practical skills necessary for acting effectively at crime scenes, regardless of their eventual place of service. Based on the comparative analysis of these experiences, a core block of forensic knowledge is identified as fundamental to ensuring the proper implementation of forensic competencies in crime scene work.

The procedural powers of pre-trial investigation bodies represent animportant tool in dealing with cybercrimes. This academic paper analyses the procedural powers through the implementation ofthe relevant provisions of the Convention on Cybercrime. The aim of this academic research isto comparehow some European countries implemented the provisions of the Budapest Convention procedural capabilities of pre-trial investigative bodies during the investigation of cybercrimesinto national laws. The object of the research isthe Budapest Convention and national procedural legislation of selected European countries, by the authors of this academic paper.The main tasksof this study to achievethe aim of this research arethe following: 1) to gathersystematic knowledge about the state of regulation of criminal procedural powers of pretrial investigation bodies dealingwith cybercrimes by comparingthe current procedural capabilities of pre-trial investigative bodies withthe effective investigation of cybercrimes and the completeness of the implementation of the procedural provisions of the Budapest Convention in criminal procedure legislation of some European countries (which implemented the Budapest Convention and developed procedural mechanisms for national law enforcement agencies); 2) to analyse the criminal procedural laws of Ukraine relating tocybercrime investigation through the implementation of the provisions of the Budapest Convention into national law; 3) provide arecommendation on improving thelaws of Ukraine to dealwith cybercrimes. The result of this study shows that the full implementation of the procedural provisions of the Convention on Cybercrime by the signatory states is a mandatory condition for improving the effectiveness of cybercrime investigations in European countries,although the process of implementation of specified powers is too slow in some countries, especially through instruments of legal cooperation in criminal cases. The topic oflegal cooperation in criminal matters related to cybercrimes shallnot be aresearch theme in the given academic paper,it maybe a separate topic for new academic research.

As a candidate for European Union (EU) membership, Ukraine is required to implement reforms in public administration, the civil service and prevention of corruption. The European Commission has acknowledged Ukraine’s progress in preventing corruption, but there is still room for improvement. Accepting gifts is one of the critical areas that can encourage corruption in the civil service. Examining the experience of EU Member States can provide valuable information to Ukrainian legislators to help them eliminate gaps in current Ukrainian laws and other legal acts. This article analyses and compares the specifics of the legal regulation of accepting gifts in the civil service in Ukraine and Lithuania. The authors compare the legal acts and case law of Ukraine and Lithuania, addressing the problem of accepting illegal gifts and establishing sanctions for such actions. The authors also analyse the challenges that both countries face in implementing their anti-corruption policies. Based on other countries’ experiences, the authors propose strategies that Ukrainian legislators could adopt to develop a more effective anti-corruption policy. The objectives of the article are to: (i) define the concepts of gifts and bribery; (ii) identify the lists of permitted and prohibited gifts in the civil service in Ukraine and Lithuania; and (iii) compare the liabilities arising from illegal gift acceptance in each country.