“In Europe we think and solve may matters surprisingly similarly, however, in Latvia we heard and saw several good ideas which we will think about after returning to Norway”, after the meeting with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Ivars Bickovics said the Chairman of the Nordmore City Court Jan Erling Lied. The delegation of the Norwegian judges and court employees during their stay in Latvia, visited the Supreme Court on November 28.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court told the Norwegian delegation about the Latvian court system, the structure and tasks of the Supreme Court, the system of remuneration of the Latvian judges, and the social guarantees. As the visitors were the judges of the first instance courts, it was interesting for them to hear the story of the personal career of I. Bickovics, the way how he, the former judge of the district court, rose to the position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

As the former Chairman of the Chamber of Criminal Cases, I. Bickovics could speak in detail about the criminal proceedings and review of criminal cases in Latvia what was of special interest for the Norwegian judges as majority of them specialize in this particular category of cases. The Norwegians were highly interested also in the procedure of appointment of judges in Latvia, the institution of lay judges, the procedure for appealing the court rulings. The Norwegian colleagues were surprised by the considerable number of women among the judges, especially the Supreme Court judges. In Norway women hardly manage to achieve such a career.

The Norwegian delegation visited also the Supreme Court museum and learned the history of the Supreme Court of Latvia.
 

 

Information prepared by

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

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 7020396, 28652211