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27 June, 2023
In Memoriam: MRU Prof. Stasys Vėlyvis
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The Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) community is saddened by the loss of an outstanding academic, a long-time member of the community who was respected and loved by colleagues and students. June 26th, MRU's honorary doctor, Law Professor Stasys Vėlyvis, died. He was 86.
Professor Stasys Vėlyvis was a sincere, outstanding lecturer who made a huge contribution to the education of the next generation of MRU lawyers.
Prof. Vėlyvis was born in March 13th, 1938, in Varėna. In 1962 he graduated from the Vilnius University's Faculty of Law. In 1965-1968, Prof. Vėlyvis studied at the Moscow University Faculty of Law postgraduate course. Then, in 1972 he defended his thesis of the candidate of legal sciences.
He began his illustrious academic career and pedagogical activities at the Vilnius University's Faculty of Law where he worked as an assistant beginning in 1962 and then started lecturing to students. He was Head of the Department of Civil Law and Procedure. In 1976 he was awarded the pedagogical title of Assoc. Professor. In 1986-1991, he served as the head of the Department of Civil Law and Procedure. He also went to France's Sorbonne University, where he was able to delve deeper and to further research the genesis of Roman law, western university legal studies and general democratic culture. He was a student of Portuguese language courses at the Moscow State Pedagogical M. Torez Institute of Foreign Languages, and later worked in the People's Republic of Angola. He was a professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Luanda in the Department of Civil Law.
The academic career of Prof. Vėlyvis began at Mykolas Romeris University from 2002, when he started working as an associate professor in the Department of Civil Procedure of the Faculty of Law of the then Lithuanian Law University. In 2006, he was appointed head of this department. In June 2006; he completed the habilitation procedure, after which he was appointed to the position of professor. In March 2o18, he was recognized for his long-term pedagogical, research and academic activities and awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Mykolas Romeris University. He was recognized for the active development of the concept of the rule of law and the ideas of an open society, and for his contribution to the preparation of laws that reorganized the legal system of Lithuania.
During his many years as an academic, Prof. Vėlyvis was the author and co-author of many scientific publications and textbooks. He researched and examined various problems of civil procedure law and civil law and made presentations at national and international conferences. Roman law occupied a special place in his field of specialization and interest for many years. In 1988, he published his first publication in this area. He introduced readers to the historical significance of Roman law, the concept, system and main institutions of Roman private law. Later he lectured on Roman Law to law students.
Prof. Vėlyvis significantly contributed to the creation of new legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania after the restoration of independence in 1990. He participated in 1990 in drafting not only the most necessary legal acts related to the legal regulation of economic activity, the restoration of private law institutes, but also many others. He was the head of the working group for the drafting of the Civil Procedure Code, and later as a member of the working group for the drafting of the Civil Code, and as the head of the working group for the draft Law on the Court System and the Status of Judges.
Prof. Vėlyvis was one of the most prominent legal educators, who emanated respect and required much from his students. He demontrated a spirit of tolerance, mutual dignity, and attentiveness to each of his students. Academic ethical provisions were not just a formality for him, but the essence of the identity of the university culture.
He actively participated in public life. He held positions in the Supreme Commission for Official Ethics and worked in the Examination Commission for Candidates for Judges. In January 1991, together with other Lithuanian citizens, he was at the Vilnius Radio and Television building and suffered physical and mental injuries. On Feb. 12th, 1992 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania he was awarded the January 13th Commemorative Medal.
Prepared by: Prof. Juozas Žilys, Prof. Dr. Stasys Vélyvis in Legal Science and Legal Empirics. Jurisprudence. 2008, 105(3): 7-15.
June 30th, from 11.00 to 20.00, it will be possible to pay one's last respect for the deceased at St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Church Virgin Mary's Consolation Chapel (St. John St. 12, Vilnius). Also, it will be possible to pay one's last respect on Saturday, July 1st, from 9.00 to 11.00. The urn will be removed on Saturday, July 1st at 11.00. He will be buried in the Rokantiškes Cemetery. On behalf of the Professor's relatives, we ask you to honor the memory of the deceased with a flower wreath and not to carry any wreaths or baskets.