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Judicial Council

Judicial Disciplinary Committee

The Judicial Disciplinary Committee is a judicial self-government institution, which reviews cases on disciplinary violations committed by judges of district (city) courts, regional courts and the Supreme Court.

Basis of authority

Composition

  • Includes 9 judges: one judge of the Supreme Court Departament of Administrative Cases, one judge of the Supreme Court Departament of Civil Cases, one judge of the Supreme Court Departament of Criminal Cases, one judge of Administrative Regional Court, one judge of Civil Collegium of a Regional Court, one judge of the Criminal Collegium of a Regional Court, one judge of the Administrative District Court, two judges of a disctrict (city) court where one is specialized in civil cases and the other in criminal cases. 

  • Elected for four years at the Judges’ Conference

  • Current composition:

Chair of the Committee:

Valerijs MAKSIMOVS, Judge of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court (elected on November 5, 2019)

Deputy Chair of the Committee:

Alla ŠILOVA, Chair of Collegium if Civil Cases of Latgale Regional Court (elected on November 13, 2019)

Members:

Līvija SLICA, Judge of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Supreme Court (elected on November 5, 2019)

Aivars UMINSKIS, Judge of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court (electon on September 21, 2021)

Inguna PREISA, Chair of Zemgale Regional Court (elected on November 13, 2019)

Kaspars BERĶIS, Judge of Administrative Regional Court (elected on November 13, 2019)

Ilze FREIMANE, Judge of Administrative District Court (elected on November 5, 2019)

Ilona RŪĶE, Judge of Riga City Vidzeme District Court (elected on November 5, 2019)

Initiation of disciplinary proceedings

  • Disciplinary proceedings, according to authority established in the law, may be initiated  by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Minister of Justice, Chairs of courts, the Judicial Ethics Commission

  • A judge may be subjected to disciplinary liability for 1) intentional violation of law during the adjudication of a case in court; 2) failure to perform his or her duties or allowing gross negligence in the adjudication of a case; 3) dishonourable actions or gross violation of the norms of the Judges Code of Ethics; 4) refusal to discontinue his or her membership in parties or political organisations; 5) failure to observe the restrictions and prohibitions provided for in the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest in Activities of Public Officials

Appeal against decisions

  • A judge, in respect of whom disciplinary case is initiated, may appeal against unfavourable decision of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee to the Disciplinary Court

Availability of information

  • A decision on initiation of a disciplinary case and materials of a disciplinary case are available only to individuals, whose rights to those are established in the law, until the moment, when the decision of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee rendered in the disciplinary case becomes effective  

  • Materials of a disciplinary case reviewed in an open sitting are classified information. Materials of a disciplinary case reviewed in a closed sitting become classified information for 5 years from entering of a decision adopted in a disciplinary case in to force    

  • Decision adopted in a disciplinary case is sent to all Chairs of courts.

  • The decision adopted in a disciplinary case, with the exception of the decision to send disciplinary materials to the Office of the Prosecutor General for deciding on the initiation of criminal proceedings, shall be published on the website by covering the part of the information that discloses personal data, including sensitive personal data. When publishing a decision adopted in a disciplinary case, the name and surname of the accountable person are not covered.

  • The published decision shall be deleted from the website after one year since its entry into force. If the disciplinary sanction has been abolished before the deadline, the published decision shall be deleted from the website within one working day after the decision is taken. If the Saeima votes against the resignation of the judge and the disciplinary case is referred back to the Judicial Disciplinary Committee for its re-examination, the published decision shall be deleted from the website within one day from receipt of the disciplinary materials at the Judicial Disciplinary Committee.

More information about the Judicial Disciplinary Committee

Contact information

  • Court Administration: Public relations specialist Ināra Makarova: +371 29299565, inara.makarova@ta.gov.lv