Delegation of Committee of Constitutional and Juridical Questions of Deputy Chamber of the Parliament of Czech Republic on February 23 has discussed in the Supreme Court procedure of attestation of General prosecutor in Latvia, question about wages of judges and other questions related to mutual operation of parliament and judicial influence.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Ivars Bickovics and deputy of the Chief Justice Pavels Gruzins has met Czech parliamentarians today.

Parliamentarians of the Czech Republic were interested, how the Chief Justice evaluates procedure of appointment of General Prosecutor in Latvia – Saeima votes for candidate offered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I. Bickovics thinks that such procedure provides political neutrality of General Prosecutor in further work. The candidate has been chosen among representatives of judicial system, and has been approved by Saeima, which represents people.

From conversations in Saeima about decision of Constitutional court regarding wages of judges, Czech parliamentarians understood that Latvian politicians doubt about its execution not only because of possibilities of state budget, but also because of solidarity with other people. In its turn, the Chief Justice explained this problem from historical view. Reform of judges’ wages was unfinished, and, when decrease of wages started, wages of judges was not at the same level as wages of employees of government management institutions. “It would be like in running competitions in the Olympics, to put everyone on the same start line, and judges – much further. And then to say that we all ran the same distance”, I. Bickovics told. The decision of the Constitutional Court placed judges back to equal start positions.

Czech parliamentarians asked opinion of managers of the Supreme Court about possibilities of making litigation processes faster and also about implementation of electronic litigation in Latvia. Visitors admitted that in Czech Republic electronic circulation of cases has also been implemented in government management and courts slowly, but process has been speeded up, as it is an opportunity to decrease expenses of institutions significantly.

During the visit the Chairman of Committee of Constitutional and Juridical Questions of Czech Republic Marek Benda (Marek Benda) and deputies Stanislav Krecek (Stanislav Křeček), Jeronym Tejc (Jeroným Tejc) and Daniel Rovan (Daniel Rovan) met colleagues from Legal Committee of Saeima, chairs of several other committees and deputies, and also group of deputies of Saeima for cooperation with Czech Republic. Delegation of Czech parliamentarians also had conversation with Minister of Justice Mareks Seglins, General Prosecutor Janis Maizitis and the Chairman of Constitutional Court Gunars Kutris.

 

 

 

 

 


Information prepared by

Head of the Division of Communications of the Supreme Court Rasma Zvejniece

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 67020396, 28652211