On 23 October, in celebration of the Constitution Day of the Republic of Lithuania, Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), together with the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Bar Association, and the Committee on Legal Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, invites you to the annual international scientific-practical conference on constitutional law, “The Multi-Layered Nature of the Constitution: Visible and Hidden Dimensions.”

Today, the Lithuanian Constitution is more than a single document – it comprises at least five constitutional documents that have significantly contributed to the development of constitutional doctrine and shaped Lithuania’s present-day constitutional order. Yet alongside these visible layers of the Constitution, scholars also discuss its invisible dimensions, which are becoming increasingly important when considering the Constitution’s stability, vitality, and capacity to respond to contemporary challenges. Research on the Lithuanian Constitution and constitutional law concerning the architecture of the Constitution forms part of the broader global discourse among constitutional scholars. This is reflected in the forthcoming collective volume Multi-Textual Constitutions of the World (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2026), whose authors argue that multi-textuality is a constitutional form that shapes the very characteristics of a Constitution and the way it operates. Mykolas Romeris University scholars Prof. Dr. Toma Birmontienė and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jolita Miliuvienė also contributed to the preparation of this publication.

As technology and artificial intelligence develop rapidly, the political environment changes, and even Western countries regarded as strong democracies face manifestations of constitutional crises, the question of how to ensure the resilience of the Constitution is becoming increasingly relevant. At a time of narratives that challenge democratic values and growing political instability, it is particularly important to return to the Constitution as a societal agreement to build and foster an independent state founded on democracy, the protection of human rights, and the rule of law.

Can the Invisible Dimensions of the Constitution Be More Important Than Its Text?

Conference participants will discuss whether the invisible dimensions of the Constitution carry greater significance than what is explicitly enshrined in its text, which values the Constitution truly protects, and whether its multilayered nature is a strength or, conversely, may create room for manipulation aimed at justifying controversial decisions.

This year’s conference will also take place as Lithuania prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 January 2027. The event will therefore provide an opportunity to reflect on what Lithuania brings to the European constitutional space and on the role that national constitutional identity and values play within it.

Internationally Recognised Experts in Constitutional Law

The conference keynote addresses will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Vytautas Mizaras, Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania, and Dr. jur. Arnfinn Bårdsen, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights.

Further insights will be shared by Prof. Dr. Wim Voermans of Leiden University (the Netherlands), author of the best constitutional law book of 2024; Prof. Dr. Zoltán Szente of the Institute for Legal Studies at the Centre for Social Sciences in Hungary; Prof. Dr. Gediminas Sagatys, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Prof. Dr. Rimvydas Norkus, Advocate General at the Court of Justice of the European Union; Prof. Dr. Luigi Malferrari, Honorary Professor at Saarland University (Germany); Prof. Dr. Skirgailė Žalimienė, President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania, Chair of the Council of the Lithuanian Bar, Mindaugas Kukaitis; and other distinguished legal experts from Lithuania and abroad.

Conference details:
Date: 23 October 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Venue: Conference Hall of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Gedimino Ave. 53, Vilnius

Registration: here.

Further information and the detailed conference programme will be announced soon.

Certificates of attendance will be issued to conference participants upon request.

The event is partly funded by the Research Council of Lithuania under its Funding of Scientific Events measure (project No. P-MOR-26-35).