The hearing was adjourned until Dec. 5 after Ričardas Piličiauskas, acting deputy chairman of the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court which had turned to the Constitutional Court, failed to attend the hearing.
The Constitutional Court was asked to look into whether Lithuania’s authorities rightfully refused to grant a temporary residence permit to a foreigner who married a citizen of the same sex abroad.
The case was referred to the Constitutional Court by the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court, which examines an appeal filed by the foreign citizen, who married the Lithuanian citizen in Denmark three years ago, against the Migration Department‘s decision to refuse him a temporary residence permit.
Lithuania’s Migration Department said earlier in the day that it’s ready to change its practice and issue residence permits to foreigners who entered into same-sex marriages with Lithuanian citizens abroad in response to the European Court of Human Rights‘ ruling.
Up until now, such permits have not been issued for the reason that Lithuania does not recognize same-sex marriages.