The Supreme Court has prepared and published the third issue of “The Supreme court Bulletin” that will be delivered to Latvian courts, other institutions of judiciary, to libraries and higher educational institutions in nearest future. You may also get acquainted with the bulletin on the home page of the Supreme Court.

In the first part of the bulletin, materials from Latvian Judicial Conference, which took place on the 25th of November, 2011, are published. Those are allocutions, reports read in sections of branches of law and summary of discussions. 

In his allocution, Ivars Bickovics, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, provides assessment of the first year of activity of the Council of Justice, as well as informs about initiatives of the Supreme Court in legislation improvement procedures. In speech of Kristine Strada-Rozenberga, the Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, non-replaceable and valuable importance of legal, especially, judicial profession in democratic society, as well as responsibility for fate of each individual is stressed. Opinions of Gaidis Berzins, the Minister of Justice, and Ilma Cepane, the Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima, on topical issues and problems of judiciary is also presented in bulletin.

Subject of section of civil law of the conference was case-law in civil disputes on division of common property. This subject is difficult and topical enough, as, assessing cases about division of common property, inter alia about division of inheritance very diverse interpretations of legal norms are indicated in court rulings. Reports published are related to use, division and management of common property, as well as about apartment property and totality of owners of apartments. Reporters – doctors of law Rolands Krauze, Janis Rozenfelds and Kalvis Torgans.

In section of criminal law, doctor of law Uldis Krastins read report on form of guilt in composed criminal offences; Dr.iur. Kristine Strada-Rozenberga reported on actions related to property obtained from crime in criminal proceedings, and Dr.iur. Andrejs Judins reported on topical issues in field of application of compulsory measures of medical nature.  All of these reports are published in bulletin. 

In section of administrative law, according to suggestion expressed by judges themselves, cases on administrative offences were discussed, and reports of Edvins Danovskis, the lecturer of the UL, and Juris Stukans, the judge of Riga regional court, in which issues of procedural dualism and case-law in review of these cases. In its turn, in the second part of the section problems of regulation related to execution of court ruling, and report of Anita Kovalevska, the judge of the Administrative district court, dedicated to this issue, is published in the bulletin. Moreover, opinion of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate about problem issues of administrative proceedings sent in by judges is given in bulletin, as part of these issues hadn’t been discussed at the conference due lack of time, for example, if the court of lower instance may decide contrary to decision of a court of higher instance adopted in the same case about the same issue, and about importance of temporary regulation.

In the second part of the bulletin, decisions of session of Chairs of departments of the Senate about issues related to jurisdiction of cases are published.

In its turn, chapter “Legal thoughts” includes articles and reports of senators of the Supreme Court and new editions on topical issues of legal theory and practice. In the article “What institutions are independent participants of civil relations?”, the senator Kalvis Torgans continues speaking on property responsibility in private and public law, as this issue was commenced and discussed widely at the World Congress of Latvian Scientists and in the magazine “Jurista Vards” (“Lawyer’s Word”). In his turn, the senator Valerijans Jonikans analyses in his publication, if procedure chosen by the legislator in proceeding in cases about small claims on recovery of money and provisions is the most appropriate for the aim of this regulation. Report of Janis Neimanis on reforms of administrative proceedings read by him at the international conference in Vilnius, is also published in the bulletin.

In the informative part of the bulletin one can read materials about inquiry carried out among clients of the Supreme Court, about cooperation with schools and higher educational institutions, as well as about gallery of Latvian Honoured Judges created in the Supreme Court.  

The Supreme Court resumed its historical tradition to publish legal informative and educational edition in 2010. “The Supreme Court Bulletin” had been published for thirty-five years until 1993.

 

Information prepared by

Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 67020396, 28652211