Gvido Zemribo, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of independent Republic of Latvia, sworn advocate, is awarded with the Order of Three stars of 3rd tier. Decision on award was made by the Chapter of Orders on the 20th of October.

Gvido Zemribo has worked in Latvian judiciary and had been creating it for more than 50 years. However, he is lawyer still respected among colleagues and he works in the Board of the Latvian Lawyers’ Association.

G. Zemribo was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1985 until 1994. It was time, when Latvia restored its national independence. Position of the Supreme Court was important in this process:  comparing to other legal institutions, it didn’t divide and it was loyal to the independent Republic of Latvia. The Plenary Session of the Supreme Court decided upon incompatibility of the post of the judge with membership in political party or sociopolitical organizations in 1990 already, before actual national independence was restored and legislation necessary for court reform was created, asking the Supreme Court to consider rulings made by courts and out-of-court institutions to be illegitimate. However, according to those rulings and laws of invading state Latvian inhabitants were repressed, so the Plenary Session asked to rehabilitate these people.  

On the 16th of May, 1990, the Supreme Council elected G. Zemribo for the post of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the restored Republic of Latvia and instructed him to submit recommendations about personnel of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia and its Presidium. G. Zemribo was able to create professional collective body of the Supreme Court loyal to independent State of Latvia. The Plenary Session managed by him adopted historical decision “About Independence of Courts of the Republic of Latvia”, establishing main principles of litigation and independence of courts conforming to standards of democratic state for the first time.

The law “On Judicial Power” adopted on the 15th of December, 1992, was developed under the guidance of G. Zemribo, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and it was judicial basis of Latvian court reform.

International activity of G. Zemribo was also important. In 1990-1993 the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court reported in several universities of the USA, participated in international conferences in Denmark, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, etc., and published a lot of legal articles.  

G. Zemribo unselfishly gave the benefit of his experience to new generation of lawyers. Being the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and later, he read lectures in the University of Latvia and Latvian Police Academy.  

In 1994-1998 G. Zemribo was ambassador of the Republic of Latvia in Denmark and Iceland, since 1998 he has been a sworn advocate.

Gvido Zemribo is the ninth judge of the Supreme Court who will receive the highest state award in restored Republic of Latvia. Previously, the Order of Three Stars was given to Andris Gulans, Roberts Guntis Namatevs, Kalvis Torgans, Pavels Gruzins, Aiva Zarina and Gunta Visnakova, and the Cross of Recognition – to Rolands Krauze and Gunars Aigars.

 

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