Declarations
Reservations
Articles: 4,8,16,17,23
Declarations:
16-06-2020
The Government of the Republic of Lithuania takes note of the Declarations submitted by Ukraine on 16 October 2015 regarding the application of the Convention on Civil Procedure (1954), the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (1961), the Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (1965), the Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (1970), the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980) and the Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children (1996) to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and of the Declarations submitted by the Russian Federation on 19 July 2016 in relation to the Declarations made by Ukraine.
In relation to the Declarations made by the Russian Federation, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania declares, in line with the conclusions of the European Council of 20/21 March 2014, that it does not recognize the illegal referendum in Crimea and the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation.
As regards the territorial scope of the above Conventions, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania therefore considers that the conventions in principle continue to apply to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as part of the territory of Ukraine.
The Government of the Republic of Lithuania further notes the Declaration by Ukraine that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are temporarily not under the control of Ukraine and that the application and implementation by Ukraine of its obligations under the Conventions is limited and not guaranteed in relation to this part of Ukraine's territory, and that only the central authorities of Ukraine in Kyiv will determine the procedure for relevant communication.
As a consequence of the above, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania declares that it will not engage in any direct communication or interaction with authorities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and will not accept any documents or requests emanating from such authorities or through the authorities of the Russian Federation, but will only engage with the central authorities of Ukraine in Kyiv for the purposes of the application and implementation of the said conventions.
02-08-2000
"(...)
And whereas it is provided in paragraph 4 of Article 4 of the Convention, the Republic of Lithuania declares that it will accept a Letter of Request submitted only in the Lithuanian, English, French or Russian languages, or, where a Letter of Request is made in none of those languages, a Letter of Request and supporting documents shall be accompanied by a translation into Lithuanian, English, French or Russian languages;
And whereas it is provided in Article 8 of the Convention, the Republic of Lithuania declares that members of the judicial personnel of the requesting authority of another Contracting State may be present at the execution of a Letter of Request only under the prior permission of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania;
And whereas it is provided in Article 16 of the Convention, the Republic of Lithuania declares that a diplomatic officer or consular agent of a Contracting State may take evidence, without compulsion, of citizens of the Republic of Lithuania under the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, only under the prior permission of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. The permission to take evidence issued by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall indicate that:
(a) evidence shall be taken by a diplomatic officer or consular agent only within the premises of the embassy or consular institution of the State which he/she represents;
(b) the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall be informed about the time and place of the taking of evidence;
(c) evidence shall be taken in the Lithuanian or another language understandable to the person giving evidence or taking of evidence and shall be accompanied by a translation into the Lithuanian or another language understandable for such person;
(d) the document concerning the taking of evidence written in the language understandable to the person giving evidence shall be signed by this person. The copy of such document shall be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania;
And whereas it is provided in Article 17 of the Convention, the Republic of Lithuania declares that a person duly appointed as a commissioner for this purpose may, without compulsion, take evidence in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania from the person which is a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania under the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania, if the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania has given its prior written permission. The permission issued by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall indicate that:
(a) the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall be informed about the time and place of the taking of evidence;
(b) the evidence shall be taken in the Lithuanian or another language understandable to the person giving evidence or taking of evidence shall be accompanied by a translation into the Lithuanian or another language understandable for such person;
(c) the document concerning the taking of evidence written in the language understandable to the person giving evidence shall be signed by this person. The copy of such document shall be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania;
And whereas it is provided in Article 23 of the Convention, the Republic of Lithuania declares that it will not execute a Letter of Request issued for the purpose of obtaining pre-trial discovery of documents ..."