At the Latvian Judges Conference, Aigars Strupišs, President of the Supreme Court of Latvia, emphasized in his address the importance of reforms concerning court support staff in strengthening the efficiency of the judicial system. He also highlighted the need to enshrine the status of the Judicial Council in the Constitution.

The President noted that over the past year, the judicial system has managed to maintain stable operations despite significant challenges and an increasing workload.

In his speech, Aigars Strupišs stated that the transfer of court administrative functions from the Ministry of Justice and the reform of court support staff have reached a decisive stage. The draft law has already been promulgated and will soon be submitted to the Saeima (parliament). The reform aims to strengthen judicial independence and streamline the remuneration system for court staff.

Particular emphasis is placed on the role of judicial assistants. Under the reform, they would be renamed court lawyers, and their responsibilities would focus more on legal work and cooperation with judges rather than on technical tasks. It is expected that these changes will strengthen the professional capacity of the courts and better prepare future judges for their roles.

The speech also highlighted challenges in cooperation among the branches of government. The President noted that the judiciary is still often perceived as less significant than other branches of power. As examples, he cited the reform of judges’ pensions and the exclusion of the Supreme Court from budget discussions. Therefore, Aigars Strupišs stressed the need to enshrine the status of the Judicial Council in the Constitution and grant it the right to initiate legislation.

The President also acknowledged that one of the most pressing issues currently faced by the judiciary is the insufficient number of criminal law specialists willing to apply for judicial positions.

Addressing the conference’s main theme, he emphasized that the culture of litigation begins at the case preparation stage and extends beyond the courtroom. Judges were encouraged to explain their rulings to the public more actively in order to reduce the spread of one-sided information in the public sphere.

In conclusion, Aigars Strupišs thanked Latvian judges for their professionalism, their contribution to strengthening the rule of law, and their efforts in building public trust in the judiciary. He emphasized that the development of the judicial system is possible only through a willingness to change and improve.

The annual Latvian Judges Conference was held on May 15 and was attended by 281 of Latvia’s 485 judges. The theme of the conference was the culture of litigation.

 

More about the conference:

 

Baiba Kataja, Communication specialist of the Supreme Court

Telephone: +371 67020396; e-mail: baiba.kataja@at.gov.lv