A Plenary Session:
- For confirmation in the Saeima, nominates the candidature of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;
- Elects the Chairs of the Supreme Court Senate’s Departments and the Chambers;
- Elects two judges from among the chairs of the Supreme Court Senate’s departments and the Chairs of the Supreme Court’s Chambers to serve as deputies of the Chief Justice;
- Is also authorized to vote to recommend that the Prosecutor General or Chief Justice be removed from office;
- Elects one member of the Central Elections Commission among judges. On October 5, 2009, the senator Peteris Dzalbe was elected as a member of the Central Election Commission;
- Nominates two candidates for the position of the Constitutional Court judges from among the judges of the Republic of Latvia. Since 2004, Aija Branta nominated by the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court holds the position of the Constitutional Court judge, since 2007 – Uldis Kinis;
- Elects one member of the Board of Justice among judges of the Supreme Court;
- Elects six members of the Disciplinary Court and appoints the Chair of the Disciplinary Court among them.
- at a Plenary Session, the judges also review the results from the previous year’s work, report on financial and administrative activities, as well as discuss prospective tasks;
- Discuss topical issues on interpretations of provisions of law. (Before amendments to the Law “On Judicial Power” of December 3, 2003, a Plenary Session was authorized to issue advisory opinions with regard to application of laws and such opinions were binding to the courts. On February 4, 2003, the Constitutional Court declared the previous version of Part Two 2 of Article 49 (in force until December 3, 2002) to be unconstitutional and in violation of Article 1 and Article 83 of the Satversme (Constitution) of the Republic of Latvia).
The Plenary Session decides and votes on issues. Votes, which are reserved for Supreme Court Judges, may be cast "for" or "against", with no abstentions allowed. A Plenary Session decision is valid if the majority of all Judges have voted in favour.
