The amendments to the law “On Judicial Power” adopted on April 3 expand the range of the persons who may be nominated to the position of a judge of the Supreme Court.

Previously, the law provided two possibilities: a judge of a district (town) court or a judge of the regional court having at least the 2nd qualification grade, or a person who has 15 years of total length of service in the position of the academic staff of law specialties of a higher educational institution, attorney or prosecutor, and who has passed the examination of the second qualification grade for a judge.

The amendments state that upon a motivated proposal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court other persons will also be able to apply who have at least 15 years of total length of service in a legal specialty. And, the academic staff of law specialties of a higher educational institution, attorneys or prosecutors upon a motivated application of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and approval of the Judicial Qualification Panel shall have a also possibility to apply to the position of a Supreme Court judge having not less than 10 years of total length of service.

The procedure of selection, training and qualification examination for the persons who have not held the position of a judge of the district (town) or the regional court is determined by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The term of training is determined upon a suggestion of the Judicial Qualification Panel taking into account the level of professionalism of the nominee to the position of a judge.

 

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