“Significant and valuable addition not only to the Bar, but to the judiciary in whole”, said the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after accepting the oath of twenty four new attorneys on January 23.

The new attorneys swore to be loyal to Latvia, to follow the laws of the country honestly and with confidence, to show respect to the courts and the state power, not to speak or write anything in the course of their activities that might cause harm to the country, society, family and morals, to fulfill honestly the duties of an attorney, to protect the interests of the authorizing parties or individuals the cases of which they work on, being aware that they bear responsibility for their activities under the law. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court wished them to remember the words of the oath as a prayer in their further activities because they express the most essential regarding the conduct of attorneys as their actions have considerable impact not only on the individual’s interests, but on the authority of the judicial power, as well. A. Guļāns expressed hope that the new attorneys will work with respect to the Satversme (Constitution), the court, the client and themselves.

The ranks of attorneys this time are supplemented mostly by the former assistants to attorneys. There are eighteen of them who gave oath: Roberts Austrums, Gvido Bajārs, Andrejs Baumanis, Lauma Bērziņa, Andra Bērzkalne, Jānis Bricis, Ilze Bukaldere, Tomass Čekavičus, Kristīne Dadzīte, Henriks Greckis, Ilze Grīnberga, Andris Gulbis, Indra Kalniņa – Šlitke, Mārtiņš Knipšis, Edgars Koškins, Aigars Kriķis, Aldis Liepiņš and Mārtiņš Liepiņš. Lawyers from the companies have also joined the ranks of attorneys – the lawyer Mārtiņš Bunkus from the company “M. Bunkus Law Offices”, Ltd., and the lawyer Elīna Čakste-Rāzna from”Sorainen Law Offices”, as well as the self-employed person Egmonts Ekarts, the judge Valdis Kronis from the Riga Permanent Arbitration Court, the former assistant to the senator of the Supreme Court Lauris Leja.

All of them have higher education, ten – the master’s degree, Elīna Čakste-Rāzna got her master’s degree both in the University of Latvia and the Humbolt University in Germany, Edgars Koškins - in the University of Columbia, USA, and Valdis Kronis – in Darem University in Great Britain. Among the newly accepted attorneys there is also one Doctor of Science – Lauris Leja.

To become an attorney a person having reached the age of at least 25 years and having the required education and experience in legal work, takes the examination for attorneys. After passing the examination and receiving recommendations the Bar states the place of practice of attorneys and passes the information on the accepted attorneys over to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who in accordance with Article 46 of the law “On Advocacy” takes the oath of the newly accepted attorneys.
 

Information prepared by Division of Communications of the Supreme Court

Author: Rasma Zvejniece, Manager of the Division of Communications of the Supreme Court

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