Looking back to 10 years of the highest award of the Supreme Court – the Themis Award – special exhibition is created in the court. Through the story about this award and ten Persons of the Year of the Supreme Court, expanded insight into history of the court may be gained.

During ten years, professional nominations The Judge of the Year, The Judge’s Assistant of the Year and The Secretary of the Year (later – The Employee of the Year) and popular nomination The Person of the Year were established for the Themis Award of the Supreme Court. It is the highest approval of recognition of the court to the person, who, as it is stipulated in regulation, “we respect and we are proud of.”

As the Persons of the Year, the collective of the Supreme Court had recognised Rolands Krauze, Imants Fridrihsons, Roberts Guntis Namatevs, Ivars Bickovics, Andris Gulans, Gunars Aigars, Aiva Zarina, Pavels Gruzins, Zigmants Gencs and Kalvis Torgans. At the exhibition, photos, documents, relics, awards and other interesting exhibits tell about these people.  

Part of materials shown at the exhibition was previously presented to the museum of the Supreme Court by former judges. For example, Aiva Zarina left to the museum valuable book “History of Latvian system of justice and courts”, which was published in 1938, but Pavels Gruzins presented a note book completed in handwriting at the beginning of 90’s of the last century, which clearly shows organisation of work and circulation of cases within the Judicial Panel of Criminal Cases. One may say it is an ancestor of modern Court Information System, to some extent.  

Another historical evidence of work of the court may be seen at the exhibition, for example, an old typewriter, insignia of judge’s office received at the first oath of judges,  symbolic bell of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, personal files of judges, special judge’s hammer.  One may also get familiarised with different awards granted to judges – the Badge of Length of Service of the Supreme Court, the Mark of Distinction of the System of Justice, the Cross of Recognition, the Order of Three Stars, and the Diploma of the Award of Loeber’s Fund, presented to Rolands Krauze. Several Person of the Year are authors of legal literature, and   Zigmants Gencs has also a talent for painting.  

Materials from the archives of the Supreme Court and Latvia State Archive of Audiovisual Documents and from the museum of the Supreme Court are used in the exhibition. 

The Themis Award founded in 2005, on the 15th anniversary of the Supreme Court of the restored Republic of Latvia, was created by Reinis Kuncitis, the metal artist from Liepaja. Themis Awards of all four nominations may be seen at the exhibition, and names of recipients of each nomination may be read there.  

In the second decade of the Themis Award, there will be new awards in the Supreme Court, and those will be created by the sculptor Edvins Krumins. New nominations – Professional, Creative and Special – were also determined. However, the purpose of the award remains the same – to assess work and contribution of judges and employees to the development of the Supreme Court.  

The visitors of the court may see the exhibition “10 Years of the Themis Award of the Supreme Court” at the lobby on the 1st floor of the Court. If the purpose of the visit is seeing of the exhibition, the pass must be ordered at the Division of Communication, and visitors must have identification document – either a passport or ID card.

 

Information prepared by

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

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