The Constitutional Court consists of nine justices appointed for a nine-year unrenewable term of office. The Seimas appoints an equal number of justices to the Constitutional Court from the candidates nominated by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the Speaker of the Seimas, and the President of the Supreme Court. The Seimas appoints the President of the Constitutional Court from among the justices thereof upon the nomination by the President of the Republic.
Upon the initial appointment of Constitutional Court justices, three of them were appointed for a three-year term of office, three for a six-year term of office, and three for a nine-year term of office. Every three years, one-third of the Constitutional Court is reconstituted. The justices of the Constitutional Court, who were appointed for three- or six-year terms of office, may hold the same office for one more term following an interval of at least three years.
Citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who have an impeccable reputation, who are trained in law, and who have served for at least 10 years in the legal profession, or in an area of education related to their qualifications as a lawyer, are eligible for appointment as a justice of the Constitutional Court.
Justices of the Constitutional Court, when in office, are independent from any state institution, person or organisation, and obey only the Constitution. Before taking office, the persons appointed as Constitutional Court justices swear, in the Seimas, to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania and the Constitution.
The activities of the Constitutional Court justices are subject to restrictions regarding work and political activities: they may not hold any other elective or appointive office, and may not be employed in any business, commercial or other private establishment or company apart from educational and creative work. They may not receive any remuneration other than the salary established for justices and payment for educational or creative activities. The Constitutional Court justices may not participate in the activities of political parties or other political organisations.
The person of a Constitutional Court justice is inviolable—Constitutional Court justices may not be found criminally or administratively responsible, may not be arrested, and may not be subjected to any other restriction of personal freedom without the consent of the Constitutional Court.
The powers of a Constitutional Court justice are terminated: on the expiration of his or her term of office; upon the death of the justice; upon voluntary resignation; if the justice is incapable of fulfilling his or her duties for reasons of health; upon being removed from office by the Seimas, according to the procedure for impeachment proceedings.
