Judges Emeriti

Upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council (before 2018 - the parliament upon the proposal of the Judicial Council) may award the title of Judge Emeritus to a judge, who has worked dutifully and retired from the position of judge.

The title of the Judge Emeritus is granted to eight former Supreme Court Judges.

Aiva Zariņa

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on March 17, 2011

Ms. Aiva Zariņa had been the judge of the Chamber of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court between 1995 and 2011. Previously, she had been judge of Riga city Centre (Kirov) district court for thirty years, inter alia, she was the Chair of the court for twenty five years. Ms. Zariņa was awarded with the Mark of Distinction of Judicial System of the Third Class in 2008 and with the Order of Three Stars of the Fourth Class – in 2011.

Pāvels Gruziņš

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on May 12, 2011

Mr. Pāvels Gruziņš had been the Chair of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate of the Supreme Court since creation of the Senate in 1995 until 2011. He began working as a judge of the Supreme Court in 1986, and in 1990 he was elected for the post of the Chair of Judicial Panel of Criminal Cases. Between 1990 and 2011 he had also been deputy of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Previously, he had been the judge of Riga city Moscow district court and the Chair of Limbazi district court. Mr. Gruziņš was awarded with the Order of Three Stars of the Third Class in 2011 and with the Mark of Distinction of Judicial System of the First Class - in 2008.

Valda Eilande

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on September 12, 2013

Mrs. Valda Eilande had been the judge of the Supreme Court from 1990 until 2009. In 1990 she was elected in the office of the judge of the Supreme Court, in 1995-2000 being the judge of the Chamber of Criminal Cases, in 2000–2009 – the senator of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate. Prior to work in the Supreme Court, she had been the judge of Riga city Moscow district People’s court, and prosecutor of Department of Supervision of Cases Heard in Courts of the Prosecutor’s Office and that of Baltic Transport Prosecutor’s Office.

Since 1994, she had been re-elected to the office of a member of the Central Election Committee among judges for five times, had been secretary of the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court for ten years, and member of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee – for ten years. Mrs. Eilande had been former deputy President of Latvian Association of Judges, the Chair of the Board, advisor and active lecturer of Latvian Judicial Training Centre. Mrs. Eilande is co-author of “Judges’ Handbook in Criminal Procedure”.

In 2008, the judge was awarded with Mark of Distinction of Judicial System of the Second Class, in 2006 – with Award Diploma of the Ministry of Justice of the First Class. Received the Supreme Court Themis Award in category “Judge of the Year-2008”.

Rolands Krauze

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on September 12, 2013

Mr. Rolands Krauze had been the judge of the Supreme Court from 1962 until 1976 and from 1994 until 2005. Since foundation of the Senate till 2005 he had been the senator of the Department of Civil Cases. In the meantime – the senior lecturer and associate professor of the Department of Civil Law of the Faculty of Law of the State University of Latvia and sworn advocate.

After retirement, in 2005-2009 Mr. Krauze had been advisor to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in issues related to application of law, the Head of the Division of Complaints, advisor in the Department of Civil Cases of the Senate.

Mr. Krauze has been one of leading Latvian specialists in residential and succession law. He is author of tens of publications, comments on the chapter of succession rights of the Civil Law, the law “On Rent of Living Accommodation” and extensive studies on succession law in Latvia.

Mr. Krauze had been the member of the Judicial Qualification Committee of the Supreme Court. Author of compilation of collections of rulings of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court.

Awarded with Cross of Recognition, Award Diploma of the Ministry of Justice of the First Class and Award Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers. Received premium of August Leber Foundation for publications on legal issues and Award of the Cabinet of Ministers for development of comments on the Civil Law. Received the Supreme Court Themis Award in nomination “Person of the Year-2005”.

Passed away on 6 November 2016.

Roberts Guntis Namatēvs

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on September 12, 2013

Mr. Roberts Guntis Namatēvs had been the judge of the Supreme Court from 1976 until 1995, the senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Senate between 1995 and 2008. Previously, he had been the judge and the Chair of Riga district court. He continued to work in the Supreme Court as assistant to the Chair of the Department of Civil Cases of the Senate.

Mr. Namatēvs had been the Chair of the Judicial Qualification Committee, and is former lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia.

Awarded with the Order of Three Stars of the Fourth Class, Award Diploma of the Ministry of Justice of the First Class and Award Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers. Received the Supreme Court Themis Award in nomination “Person of the Year-2007”.

Passed away on October 5, 2019.

Rita Saulīte

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on September 12, 2013

Ms. Rita Saulīte had been the judge of the Supreme Court from 1985 until 1995, between 1995 and 2008 she had been the senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Senate. Previously, Mrs.Saulite had been the judge of Bauska district People’s court, the Head of the chancery and advisor in the Supreme Court.

She had worked in group on drafting of the Civil Procedure Law, had been reviewer of comments on chapter of property law of the Civil Law and co-author of comments on the Civil Procedure Law.

Awarded with Mark of Distinction of Judicial System of the Third Class.

Gunārs Aigars

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on December 4, 2014

The judge of the Supreme Court in 1990–2014, the Chair of the Chamber of Civil Cases since its establishment in 1995. Had been the deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for nineteen years, and the Chair of the Judicial Qualification Committee – for fifteen years. Before work in the Supreme Court, had been the judge of Liepaja court and the Chair of the same court in 1967–1990. Co-acted in group on elaboration of the law “On Judicial Power” and the Civil Procedure Law. The co-author of comments on the Civil Procedure Law in 2006, 2011 and 2012. Awarded with the Cross of Recognition, the Mark of Distinction of the System of Justice of the 1^st rank. Received the Themis Award of the Supreme Court in nomination “The Person of the Year-2009”.

Kalvis Torgāns

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on on March 5, 2015

The judge of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court in 2008-2014. Habilitated Doctor of Law, one of the most famous Latvian legal scientists in civil law and civil procedure law. Since 1962, has worked at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, had been the Dean of the faculty, the Head of the Department of Civil Law. The Chair of the Professors’ Council of Law of the University of Latvia. Current member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

The author of more than 35 books and 250 scientific publications. Commentaries to the Civil Procedure Law in two parts were published under scientific editorship of K.Torgans, the most recent books include “Problems of contractual and tort law” published in 2013 and “Liability law” - in 2014. He co-operated actively in legislative processes, participating in work teams on draft laws and in sittings of the Legal Affairs Committee.

Awarded with the Order of Three Stars of 3^rd rank in 2009, and the Mark of Distinction of Justice System of I rank in 2008; Award and Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers – in 2005; the Diploma of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and silver Insignia of the University of Latvia – in 2004. Received Prize of the senator August Loeber in 1994 and Award of Dietrich Loeber of the Latvian Academy of Sciences in 2009. In 2011, received the Annual Award in Science of the University of Latvia for establishment of scientific school in civil law. Received Themis Award of the Supreme Court in nomination “The Person of the Year - 2013”.

Passed away on March 12, 2021.

Valerijans Jonikāns

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on October 21, 2019

Mr. Valerijans Jonikāns had been a judge of the Supreme Court from 1987 to 1993 and from 1999 to 2019.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court, he had been a judge and chairman of district courts in Bauska, Talsi and Daugavpils. While not serving as a judge, he worked as a legal advisor and as a sworn advocate. In 1999 he returned to the Supreme Court’s Chamber of Civil Cases. He is the founder of administrative law in Latvia – he was the founder and the first chairman of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate from 2003 to 2007. Then the chairman and senator of the Department of Civil Cases.

Mr. Jonikāns had participated in the working group for the development of the draft of Ombudsman Law and in the working group for ensuring the commencement of the activities of administrative courts. He is the co-author of the second part of the comments on the Civil Procedure Law in the scientific edition of Mr. Kalvis Torgans. He was a member of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee, a lecturer at the Latvian Judicial Training Centre.

In 2017, he was awarded the Order of the Three Stars of the 4th Class. He received the Honorary Badge of the Judicial System of the 2nd Degree and the Certificate of Recognition from the Ministry of Justice of the 1st Degree. He has also received the Supreme Court's Themis Award in the nomination "Judge of the Year - 2007" and the Special Themis Award in 2015.

Edīte Vernuša

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on January 29, 2021

Mrs. Edīte Vernuša had been the judge of the Supreme Court from 1999 to 2020. She had been a judge of the Chamber of Civil Cases, a senator of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate in the first composition of the Department. Since 2005, she had been a senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Senate, in 2015-2018 the Chair of the same Department.

Prior to her work at the Supreme Court, she was a judge at the Riga City Central District Court and the Riga Regional Court.

Mrs. Vernuša has participated in the permanent working group for the improvement of Civil Procedure Law. She is a co-author of the second part of the comments on the Civil Procedure Law in the scientific edition of Mr. Kalvis Torgans (2012). She is also a former member of the Sworn Advocate Examination Commission.

Mrs. Vernuša was awarded the Order of the Three Stars of the 4th Class. She has received the Honorary Badge of the Judicial System of the 2nd Degree and the Supreme Court's Themis Award in the nomination "Judge of the Year 2012" and the Special Themis Award in 2018.

Mārīte Zāģere

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on 12 November 2021

Ms. Zāģere had been a judge of the Supreme Court from 1990 until 2021. As from the creation of the Senate in 1995, she had been a senator of the Department of Civil Cases.

Before the work in the Supreme Court, she had been working for eight years in Riga District Court and in Riga City Proletarian District Court, as well as she had been a judge in Riga City Proletarian District People’s Court for seven years.

She had been a member and a chair of Disciplinary Court.

Awards: Order of the Three Stars, Honorary Badge of the Judicial System, Supreme Court Themis Award in the nomination "Judge of the Year".

Andris Guļāns

The judge was granted the title of Judge Emeritus on October 21, 2022

He served as the Supreme Court judge from 1994 to 2022. In 1994-2008, he was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, then for 14 years he served as a senator of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate.

Prior to his work at the Supreme Court, he had been a judge and a chair of the Riga City Moscow District Court (now Riga City Latgale District Court) for 13 years. He served as the Deputy Minister of Justice for a year, a sworn advocate for a year.

He had been the Chair of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee in 1999-2008 and a member of the Disciplinary Court in 2010-2012.

He is awarded with the III class of the Order of Three Stars, the Sate President’s Certificate of Recognition, the 2^nd Degree Honorary Badge of the Justice System, the Supreme Court's Themis Award in the nomination "Person of the Year - 2008". He is a Honorary citizen of Zalve parish.