On March 27 junior lawyers from Germany, who are currently studying and undergoing training at the Koblenz District Court, visited the Supreme Court for the exchange of experience.

Guests had a meeting with Rihards Gulbis, Legal Research Counsel to the Department of Civil Cases. The legal research counsel provided visitors with general information on the structure of the Latvian judicial system, the court information system, giving more detailed information on the Supreme Court, its activities, the appointment of judges, the work of the departments, and the structure and tasks of the Administration.

Lawyers showed a strong interest in the Supreme Court asking various questions. Rihards Gulbis told the German colleagues about the proceedings in the cassation court (what are the formal requirements for filing a cassation complaint, what issues can be appealed under cassation procedure and what is the competence of the cassation court). He also told the guests about the way decision on the initiation of cassation proceedings is made, as well as spoke about practical issues of the work of the Senate (duties of assistants to judges and other court employees, cooperation with judges).

German colleagues were also interested in the Latvian legal education system (the length of studies, in how many universities a person can obtain a qualification of a lawyer). The junior lawyers wanted to find out what are the duties of a legal research counsel, which Rihards Gulbis was willing to explain, saying that his duties included taking part in the examination of particularly complex cases, giving his opinions and helping to prepare draft judgments, and the second major role was the representation of the Senate in various legislation working groups that are developing and discussing new laws and their amendments.

Rihards Gulbis told the guests about the importance of the development of case-law, referring to the recently implemented projects – establishing of new link between laws and case-law findings of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court on the website likumi.lv.

In the conclusion of the meeting, the guests watched a short film about the Supreme Court, visited the Supreme Court Museum, the Great Courtroom and the historic sculpture “Justice”.

Within the framework of the visit to Latvia, the new lawyers from Germany will also visit the Saeima (Parliament), the Occupation Museum, the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation and other institutions, thus comprehensively familiarizing themselves with the present and the past of Latvia.

 

Information prepared by Iveta Jaudzema, International Cooperation Specialist of the Supreme Court
E-mail: iveta.jaudzema@at.gov.lv; telephone +371 67020396