On 11 September, acknowledging rich heritage of Latvian legal system, which may serve as inspiration for new ideas, the Supreme Court, in cooperation with the Faculty of Law and the journal “Jurista Vārds” (“Lawyer’s Word”) organises a conference “Commercial Law in Baltic Legal Space” dedicated to the 150th anniversary of August Loeber, one of founders of Latvian legal system and civil law.

The goal of the conference is to look back to contribution of the Baltic German lawyer and the Doctor of law August Loeber (1865–1948) to Latvian legal system in general, and to update the subject the professor was particularly fond of – trade law, which is now known as commercial law.

Observing the fact that August Loeber always looked at development of Latvian legal system in broader – Baltic context – and actively participated in projects on unification of law of Baltic States, judges of Supreme Court of Estonia and Lithuania are also invited to participate at the conference.  

The first part of the conference, “Topical issues of commercial law of the Baltic States”, may be relatively called judges’ part – it will be conducted by Edite Vernusa, the Chair of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court, and representatives of Supreme Courts of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania will take the floor to present their reports.  Aigars Strupiss, the judge of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court of Latvia, will compare invalidation of decisions of members in theory and praxis, however, the judge Zane Petersone has chosen a topic, which was little reviewed until present – non-pecuniary damage to legal person. Gediminas Sagatys, the judge of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, will present a report on the case-law of the Supreme Court of Lithuania in field of contractual law, and Jaana Lints, the adviser to the Supreme Court of Estonia will present a review on interaction of the CMR Convention and Estonian legal provisions in case-law of the Supreme Court of Estonia.  

In the second part of the conference, which will be conducted by Janis Pleps, the Head of the Department of Theory and History of Law of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, and the adviser to the President of the State on constitutional issues, contribution of Loeber’s family to Latvian legal system will be marked. Janis Lazdins, the professor of the Department of Theory and History of Law of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, will provide a review on Baltic legal space – in history and nowadays; Dina Gailite, the editor of the journal “Jurista Vārds” will analyse contribution of Baltic Germans to legal culture of the newly established State of Latvia, and Edvins Danovskis, the lecturer of the Department of State Law of the University of Latvia will tell about work of August Loeber at the University of Latvia. The report of Signe Terihova, the lawyer of the Department of Legal Information and Publishing of the Court House Agency,  will, in turn, read a report on collaboration of August Loeber’s son – Dietrich Andre Loeber, in restoration of the legal system of Latvia.  

The organizers of the conference point out extensive importance of August Loeber in Latvian legal space. He was one of those lawyers, who stood at the cradle of development of Latvian legal system; between 1918 and 1938, he had been the senator of the Senate, the highest court instance of the Republic of Latvia. Along with judicial duties, he was a founder and the first temporary Dean of the Faculty of National Economy and Law of the University of Latvia, and the professor in trade law. August Loeber participated in elaboration of the Civil Law, Law on Bills and other legal provisions. His social activity and contribution to field of legal literature were also comprehensive.  

 

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