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About the Supreme Court / The History

Joining the European judiciary

Rapid changes in the economic and political life of the country, change of attitude towards property, processes of denationalization and privatization, differentiation of the society and problems related to crime, reform of the courts and law, and other processes made the Supreme Court develop and demanded professional development from the judges.

The latest stage of development is connected with the changes in the life of the country after joining the European Union. We must learn the European base of standards, court practice of the Court of European Community and the European Court of Human Rights, and introduce standards corresponding to the level of the European courts. Principles of human rights and administrative procedure are actually starting to function.

Cooperation of the Supreme Court with courts of other countries and international institutions has developed.

The Supreme Court of Latvia is a participant in the Network of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union which was founded in 2004. Since 2004, the Supreme Court of Latvia is also a member of the Association of the State Councils and Supreme Administrative Courts of the member states of the European Union.

The Supreme Court maintains contacts with the Court of the European Community and the European Court of Human Rights and their judges, pay visits to learn experience, and the representatives from Latvia in these courts – Egils Levits, Ineta Ziemele, Ingrīda Labucka – regularly meet with the judges of the Supreme Court and share their experience. The Senator Jautrīte Briede has participated in the work of the European Court of Human Rights as ad hoc judge.

Several significant international conferences have been organized: in 2005 – Jubilee Conference “Supreme Court in action: retrospection and European experience for future”, in 2006, in cooperation with the Council of Advocates of the American Courts – “Judges and advocates in the interaction of professions: common and distinctive in the Latvian and American judiciary”, in 2007 in cooperation with the US Embassy in Latvia and the Ministry of Justice – “Reform of judiciary, ethics and transparency”.

  • The Lithuania Supreme court delegation’s visit in June 2007. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Lithuania Vitauts Greics invites to conclude a cooperation agreement between courts of neighbouring countries.

    The Lithuania Supreme court delegation’s visit in June 2007. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Lithuania Vitauts Greics invites to conclude a cooperation agreement between courts of neighbouring countries.

  • European judges and prosecutors. Judges and prosecutors from Spain, Germany and Finland within the framework of the European training project visited the Supreme Court in September 2007. The manager of Administration Anita Kehre shared experience on organization and provision of work of the Supreme Court, as well as cooperation with society. In the Senate courtroom the visitors viewed with interest the new video equipment what the Supreme Court installed following the example of the courts of Spain.

    European judges and prosecutors. Judges and prosecutors from Spain, Germany and Finland within the framework of the European training project visited the Supreme Court in September 2007. The manager of Administration Anita Kehre shared experience on organization and provision of work of the Supreme Court, as well as cooperation with society. In the Senate courtroom the visitors viewed with interest the new video equipment what the Supreme Court installed following the example of the courts of Spain.

  • Senators of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia Pavels Gruzins, Marite Zagere and Valerijans Jonikans in the court room of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights

    Senators of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia Pavels Gruzins, Marite Zagere and Valerijans Jonikans in the court room of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights

  • Supreme Court of Spain. A Supreme Court delegation visited Spain in 2007, as a part of a of project aimed at „Strengthening of administrative capacity of the Supreme Court for creating an effective system of docketing, record-keeping and personnel management

    Supreme Court of Spain. A Supreme Court delegation visited Spain in 2007, as a part of a of project aimed at „Strengthening of administrative capacity of the Supreme Court for creating an effective system of docketing, record-keeping and personnel management". They visited many courts and judicial authorities.

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