On July 11 the delegation of the EUJUST – THEMIS (EU Rule of Law Mission in Georgia) visited the Supreme Court. The law experts visited Latvia with the aim to exchange views regarding the participation of judges and other lawyers in international civil missions, as well as to learn about the development of the Latvian law system and the participation of experts in international civil missions.

In the delegation there were representatives from various legal professions from France, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Poland, as well as a participant from Latvia – the judge of the Constitutional Court Uldis Kinis. The head of the Mission Silvie Pantz – a judge, a prosecutor, an advisor in the matters of EU and the Civil Crisis Management from France.

During the visit in the Supreme Court the delegation met with the Deputies of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chairman of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate Pavels Gruzins and the Chairman of the Chamber of Civil Cases Gunars Aigars, as well as the specialists of the Ministry of Justice. The mutual exchange of experience covered court reforms in different countries, ensuring the independence of the judicial power, and the participation of judges in international missions.

It was interesting for the law experts who within the EU Mission worked in Georgia to hear the history of the Latvian Supreme Court and the court system in the museum of the Supreme Court.

Afterwards, the delegation visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Constitutional Court, as well.

The EUJUST – THEMIS delegation has a tradition to visit the member states and to learn about the court system functioning in them. This year, the judge of the Constitutional Court Uldis Kinis who represented Latvia in the EU Rule of Law Mission in Georgia in 2004 – 2006 invited the delegation to visit Latvia.

 

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