LEGENDINIŲ LIETUVOS TEISININKŲ TANDEMAS
THE TANDEM OF LEGENDARY LAWYERS OF LITHUANIA
Author(s): Mindaugas MaksimaitisSubject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence
Published by: Mykolas Romeris University
Keywords: Antanas Kriščiukaitis; Petras Leonas; the court; the University of Lithuania; famous lawyers; history of law
Summary/Abstract: The article is devoted to describe the parted, converged and anewed lives and work of famous lawyers and professors of Lithuania, namely A. Kriščiukaitis and P. Leonas.Born in 1864, A. Kriščiukaitis and P. Leonas met each other and became friends while studying at Marijampolė‘s Gymnasium. Afterwards, they both studied law at the University of Moscow. A. Kriščiukaitis and P. Leonas started their careers in the judiciary system of czarist Russia and faced the common tragedy of all Lithuanian intellectuals to endure the ‘service exile’ in the wide expanse of Russia that lasted for many years. However, it did not affect the national ideals that they both cherished Although they both welcomed the independence of Lithuania while already in elderly age, however, they devoted theirselves to complicated work of restoration of sovereign state, first of all – to the establishment of the judiciary system of Lithuania. P. Leonas became the first Minister of Justice, A. Kriščiukaitis was appointed the chairman of the Chief Tribunal, the highest unit of the judiciary system of Lithuania. The huge problem of lack of professional lawyers was hoped to be solved by the establishment of the University of Lithuania in 1922. Great contribution into the establishment and activity of the Faculty of Rights was made by the professors A. Krikščiukaitis and P. Leonas, the latter also being appointed to be the Dean of the Faculty of Rights. Both A. Kriščiukaitis and P. Leonas held their duties till the last sigh. A. Kriščiukaitis the day before his death yet attended the meeting of the Faculty Board and suddenly died on October 30th, 1933, while getting ready for the ordinary working day in the Chief Tribunal. P. Leonas gave his last lecture on May 11th, 1938, one day before he passed away. The lives and work paths of the two great lawyers of Lithuania, A. Kriščiukaitis and P. Leonas, while acknowledging and appreciating the professional skills of one another, both standing up, trusting and supplementing each other, led to leave the imprint to the legal inter-war-period of Lithuania.
Journal: Jurisprudencija
- Issue Year: 21/2014
- Issue No: 3
- Page Range: 866-884
- Page Count: 19
- Language: Lithuanian