Because there was not a sufficient number of justices to create permanent panels for the Civil Cassation Department, the Criminal Cassation Department and the Administrative Department, the justices to serve on each panel were elected for each case separately. The Department chairpersons were elected at a full meeting of the Senate on October 2, 1919. One permanent member was also elected to serve in each department, who simultaneously served as a provisional member in another department, as there were only five justices covering the positions of nine justices.
The following justices served in the departments:
- Civil Cassation Department: chairman Karlis Ozolins, permanent member Augusts Lebers, provisional member Janis Graudins;
- Administrative Department: Kristaps Valters, Augusts Lebers and Janis Graudins;
- Criminal Cassation Department: Mikelis Gobins, Janis Graudins and Kristaps Valters.
From December 19, 1918 until October 2, 1919, the Senate was mostly involved with organizational, legal and administrative, and did not review cassation appeals. The Senate invested a great deal of effort in the creation of a court system. In 1919, the following draft laws were prepared by the Senate and submitted to the Ministry of Justice:
- The fundamental rules of the Latvia’s Senate;
- Instructions to Latvian courts;
- Regulations in guardianship cases;
- The law on the introductory section of opinions of Latvian courts;
- Instructions on the use of the German and Russian languages in Latvian courts.
The Senate began reviewing cases in October 1919 when the first proceeding of the Administrative Department was held on October 9, 1919. The first proceeding of the Criminal Cassation Department was held on December 2, 1919. The Senators’ first salary, in the autumn of 1919, was recorded as 1400 rubles per month.
On June 3, 1920 the full Senate elected the chairman of the Administrative Department, Kristaps Valters, as the Chairman of the Senate "to preside over the preliminary meetings and meetings of the court panels".
