Drug offences committed by minors in Lithuania and Poland: penal responses and the rights of underaged offenders

ENAdolescent drug use is a significant concern in contemporary societies. In Central and Eastern Europe, this issue may not be as prominent as in Western Europe, but it is steadily increasing. Central and Eastern European countries often adopt stricter penal measures in addressing this social problem than their Western counterparts. This approach raises concerns about potential penal overreaction towards young offenders, risking labelling them as criminals at a very young age. This chapter offers a comparative legal analysis of adolescent drug offences in Lithuania and Poland. The authors examine the legal provisions and relevant case law to discover the similarities, differences, and possible societal factors influencing penal responses. By methodically examining each country’s legal frameworks and drug crime statistics, the authors highlight both divergences and convergences in legal responses. This analysis provides insights into how drug offences by adolescents are approached in these jurisdictions. The chapter discusses how the legal frameworks and the case law differ in addressing drug offences committed by minors in Lithuania and Poland and what repercussions these differences bring for adolescent drug offenders and their rights in both countries.