Remigijus Šimašius is the Minister of Justice in the Fifteenth Government, appointed on 10 December 2008. He is responsible for the following management areas of the Ministry: development of the national legislative framework; protection of human rights and freedoms; legal regulation of religious communities and associations; regulation of legal processes; regulation of civil legal relationships; criminal and penalty enforcement policy; activities of state registers and information systems assigned to the competence of the Ministry, etc.

In 2006–2008, R. Šimašius was President of the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, after functioning for a couple of years as Vice –President and Expert Team Leader of the Institute; has worked as expert of law for almost ten years. In 2004-2008, he was a member of the Board of Transparency International, Lithuanian Chapter. During that time period, he also chaired the editorial panel of scientific-practical journal Legal Problems, wrote articles on theory of law. In 2001-2006, he was a member of the Vilnius City Council and a member of the Budget and Finance Committee.

R. Šimašius has always been an active member of various governmental working groups, Chairman of the President’s Commission tasked with the development of the Law-Making Model, a member of the Commission for the Preparation of the National Energy Strategy, Chairman of the Commission for NGO Affairs.

R. Šimašius was also active in social activities. In 2005-2008, he was a lecturer of the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University; in 2002-2005, a lecturer of the Faculty of Law of the Lithuanian University of Law. He was actively involved in the activities of the Lithuanian Liberal Union and chaired its Justice Committee; provided legal aid to non-profit organisations. In 1999, he published a book “NGOs: Regulation in Lithuania and Western Experience”.

Resident in Vilnius. Married, three children.

Publishes his internet blog http://simasius.blogas.lt