Right to a fair trial: European Convention on Human Rights in dialogue of national courts and the ECtHR
Time and venue of the Conference
October 10, 2025, the Small Guild, Riga
A video record of the Conference is available in Latvian and English on the Youtube channel of the Supreme Court of Latvia
Conference concept
The year 2025 marks a significant event for the Supreme Court of Latvia and the entire Latvian judicial system – the 30th anniversary of the restored cassation instance – the Senate. The restoration of the Senate marked a significant step for the return of the Latvian judicial system to values and rights of democratic Europe. Therefore, it is equally important to celebrate a European-wide event – the 75th anniversary of adoption of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Linking these two events, the Supreme Court is organising an international conference to discuss a key element of human rights protection – the right to a fair trial. The conference will focus on the experiences of the past and the topicalities of the present – the right to a fair trial ensured by the impartial and independent court in an era when democratic values are being challenged. How can the judiciary withstand populism and other threats?
The Supreme Court organizes the conference in cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights. The participants of the conference include the Vice-President and judges of the ECtHR, former Latvian judges of the ECtHR, and colleagues from Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden. The audience of the conference includes senators of the Supreme Court of Latvia, presidents and deputy presidents of lower courts in Latvia, members of the Judicial Council of Latvia and other officials whose field of work relates to human rights.