Sexual Harassment and Legal Liability for It
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Abstract
The author analyses sexual harassment and legal liability for committed unlawful acts, which invoke certain legal consequences.
The acknowledgement and implementation of human rights and freedoms is a necessary element of civil society and the rule of law. Having acknowledged the natural status of human rights and freedoms in the Constitution, the Republic of Lithuania has committed itself to respect them, to ensure their protection, to safeguard them from any illegal infringement or restriction.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets forth that every person has a right to an equal protection from every form of discrimination and instigation to discriminate.
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination on grounds of one’s sex. Sex discrimination is prohibited by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. Article 29 of the Constitution establishes equality of persons before the law, the court, state institutions and officials. Human rights cannot be restricted and privileges cannot be granted on grounds of one’s sex, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, religion, convictions or opinion.
The Directive 2002/73/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 September 2002 amending Council Directive 76/207/EEC on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as a regard access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions sets forth that harassment related to the sex of a person and sexual harassment are contrary to the principle of equal treatment between women and men; it is therefore appropriate to define such concepts and to prohibit such forms of discrimination.
Violation of human rights and discrimination on grounds of sex is prohibited by a number of international instruments as well as national legal acts.
The definition of sexual harassment is provided for in the Law on Equal Opportunities of Women and Men. This unlawful act is defined as an offensive conduct of sexual nature, verbal or physical, towards a person with whom there are work, business or other relations of subordination. Sexual harassment is a subject to administrative liability.
The definition of sexual harassment and liability for it is also foreseen in the Statute of the Military Service Discipline. The Statute establishes that sexual harassment may appear in a verbal, written or other form, which is directed against one’s sexual self–determination and inviolability. It is specific about this legal act that relations of sexual nature shall appear between the servicemen of compulsory military service. Having committed the latter acts the military servicemen may face sanctions foreseen in the Statute.
Apart from these two legal acts definition of sexual harassment is provided for in the Penal Code, which defines sexual harassment as striving for sexual contact or satisfaction by taking vulgar actions. Liability arises when the harasser and the victim are in work or other relations of subordination. The latter prohibited acts constitute a criminal offence and shall be punished with a punitive fine, which may include arrest.
The acknowledgement and implementation of human rights and freedoms is a necessary element of civil society and the rule of law. Having acknowledged the natural status of human rights and freedoms in the Constitution, the Republic of Lithuania has committed itself to respect them, to ensure their protection, to safeguard them from any illegal infringement or restriction.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets forth that every person has a right to an equal protection from every form of discrimination and instigation to discriminate.
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination on grounds of one’s sex. Sex discrimination is prohibited by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. Article 29 of the Constitution establishes equality of persons before the law, the court, state institutions and officials. Human rights cannot be restricted and privileges cannot be granted on grounds of one’s sex, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, religion, convictions or opinion.
The Directive 2002/73/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 September 2002 amending Council Directive 76/207/EEC on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as a regard access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions sets forth that harassment related to the sex of a person and sexual harassment are contrary to the principle of equal treatment between women and men; it is therefore appropriate to define such concepts and to prohibit such forms of discrimination.
Violation of human rights and discrimination on grounds of sex is prohibited by a number of international instruments as well as national legal acts.
The definition of sexual harassment is provided for in the Law on Equal Opportunities of Women and Men. This unlawful act is defined as an offensive conduct of sexual nature, verbal or physical, towards a person with whom there are work, business or other relations of subordination. Sexual harassment is a subject to administrative liability.
The definition of sexual harassment and liability for it is also foreseen in the Statute of the Military Service Discipline. The Statute establishes that sexual harassment may appear in a verbal, written or other form, which is directed against one’s sexual self–determination and inviolability. It is specific about this legal act that relations of sexual nature shall appear between the servicemen of compulsory military service. Having committed the latter acts the military servicemen may face sanctions foreseen in the Statute.
Apart from these two legal acts definition of sexual harassment is provided for in the Penal Code, which defines sexual harassment as striving for sexual contact or satisfaction by taking vulgar actions. Liability arises when the harasser and the victim are in work or other relations of subordination. The latter prohibited acts constitute a criminal offence and shall be punished with a punitive fine, which may include arrest.
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Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to the Association for Learning Technology.
Please see Copyright and Licence Agreement for further details.
