With great delay related to search of publishers of the collection and preparation of the book, finally collection of rulings of the Supreme Court Senate of 2012 found its way to readers.  

The collection contains compilation of selected rulings of greatest legal importance of all departments of the Senate – the Department of Civil Cases, the Department of Criminal Cases and the Department of Administrative Cases. In 2012, 3049 cases were reviewed in the Senate of the Supreme Court. The collection of rulings contains only 40 rulings from each department, and it makes less than 4 per cent from total number of judgements and decisions. However, as it has been indicated in introduction to the book, those are of the greatest legal importance - thus, those are essence of case-law of 2012, in some way.

Each chapter of rulings of the department of the Senate may be theoretically considered to be separate book, which gives general overview on work of each department in 2012 and provides insight into issues updated, when reviewing cases.  Each chapter of the book has its own expanded contents and review of case-law of each department in the abstract in the beginning of the chapter.

Court rulings, inter alia, those of the Supreme Court, become even more available to public – both on the web site of the Supreme Court in Judicature section and on court portal, but as from September 2013, all judgements, which became effective, must be published on the Internet. Thus, publishing of such collection of rulings could seem useless. However, as Ivars Bickovics, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court indicates in preface to the book, this is issue of legal and historical importance in several aspects.  

Firstly, it is practical aspect – creation of uniform case-law. All rulings published create judicature of the Senate, which gives insight into development of case-law in all branches of law.  Rulings have been systematised, case-law theses are prepared for those, and each chapter is supplemented with indices and references.

Secondly, it is theoretical aspect – development of legal thought and national law. Conclusions of a court included in all rulings are case-law, which should be used as auxiliary legal source.   

Thirdly, it is traditional aspect – edition of collections of rulings of the Senate is the oldest tradition of publishing of judgements and decisions of the Senate. It continues practice of the pre-war Senate of Latvia and publishing of rulings of the highest court instances has been international practice.

Fourthly, it is historical aspect – collections of rulings of the Senate have also been historical evidence of Latvian legal thought and practice, events of concrete period of time and legal cases, and of work of concrete senators.  

Senators Veronika Krumina, Edite Vernusa and Peteris Dzalbe, senators’ assistants Agris Dreimanis, Nora Magone, Gunvaldis Davidovics and Baiba Bakmane and advisers of the Division of Case-law Zinaida Indruna and Anda Krastina participated in development of collection of rulings of the Senate of 2012.  

Publishing of collections of rulings of the Senate, although unprofitable, is necessary for establishment of uniform case-law and development of legal thought in Latvia. The Supreme Court is grateful to the state joint-stock company “Tiesu namu agentura” (Courthouse Agency), which understands this mission and has undertaken this unprofitable project.  The book is published in very small circulation, and it is available for purchase in Courthouse Agency bookshops and in e-shop.

 

Information prepared by

Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone 28652211