Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences

The Law Institute of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences is a public research institution specialising in legal studies. Originally established in 1991 by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to support legal system reform, the Institute has evolved alongside the country’s broader economic and social transformation.

In 2012, it was restructured as a state research institute, and in 2021 it became a branch of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences following a merger with other national research institutions.

The Institute’s main aim is to contribute to the development of Lithuania’s legal system by combining national experience with advances in European law. Its work supports the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms through both academic and applied research. It also seeks to promote a favourable legal environment for economic activity.

Its principal research areas include public law, with a focus on constitutional law and criminal justice, and criminology, particularly issues relating to the rights of children and young people.