Published: 13.08.2024.

The Judicial Council is a collegial authority which participates in the development of the policies and strategies for the judicial system, and also the improvement of the organisation of the work of the judicial system.

The goal of foundation of the Judicial Council is to counterbalance relations between executive power, judicial power and legislative power, assigning to it an important role in issues regarding the judicial system.

The establishment of the Judicial Council is laid down in the law „On Judicial Power”, by amendments of June 3, 2010.

The Judicial Council provides an opinion:

  • On budget requests of courts
  • On the candidates for the position of a judge of the Constitutional Court (provides opinion to the Saeima)
  • On the candidates for the position of a judge of the Supreme Court (provides opinion to the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court)

The Judicial Council submits proposals to the Saeima:

  • On the total number of judges in the district (city) courts, in Administrative District Court, Regional Court, Administrative Regional Court and the Senate.
  • On dismissal of the President of the Supreme Court from the office of his/her own will or due to appointment in other office.
  • On dismissal of judges from the post due to state of health, if that forbids to continue work of a judge or if he/she received negative statement in re-assessment of professional activity of a judge.
  • On the most suitable candidate for the position of the Prosecutor General (Section 89.11, Paragraph 4.1 of the Law "On Judicial Power")

Decisions of the Judicial Council in conceptual and organisational issues related to court system:

  • Development and approval of Regulation of the Council for the Judiciary
  • Approval of Regulation of the Judges’ Conference
  • Convocation of the Judges’ Conference, setting issues to be included in agenda
  • Approval of Regulation of the Judicial Ethics Commission
  • Approval of Regulation of the Judicial Qualifications Committee
  • Approval of Procedure for using of judge’s robe and insignia
  • Approval of sample of judge’s identification card
  • Determination of district (city) courts, their courthouses, as well as the area of activity and location of district (city) courts, their courthouses.
  • Determination of the area of activity of regional courts and courthouses of regional courts.
  • Determination of number of judges in every district (city) court (upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice).
  • Determination of number of judges in every regional court (upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice).
  • Determination of number of judges in Departments of the Senate (upon the proposal of the President of the Supreme Court).
  • Adoption of decisions on the transfer of a vacant judge's position within the area of court’s activity (upon the proposal of the Minister of Justice)
  • In case of reorganization of a district (city) court, approves plan of reorganization of the court and decides on transfer of a judge of this court (also without his or her consent) to work to another district (city) court in the same area of activity of the regional court or in another area of activity of the regional court, if reorganized district (city) court is merged with district (city) court located in the area of activity of another regional court
  • Determination of the procedure for judges’ selection, traineeships and qualification examinations
  • Approval of regulations of competition for selection of candidates for the post of a judge
  • Determination of content and procedure for assessing judges’ professional knowledge and samples of documents necessary for assessment
  • Approval of judges’ list, pursuant to which regular assessment of judges’ professional knowledge will be performed successively
  • Approval of basic principles for judges’ specialisation
  • Approval of procedure for determining the work-load of a case
  • Approval of information submitted by Chairs of courts about standard of terms of review of cases in courts
  • Confirmation of the contents of curricula for judges and employees of the Supreme Court (upon the proposal of the President of the Supreme Court or the Minister of Justice)
  • Hearing out of annual report on work prepared by the Court Administration
  • Development of guidelines in connection with other organizational issues of courts

Decisions of the Judicial Council related to issues of judicial careers:

  • Determination of a concrete district (city) court with the corresponding place of performance of judge’s duties in the area of activity of the court (pursuant to decision of the Saeima on the appointment of a judge as a judge of a district (city) court)
  • Determination of a concrete regional court or its courthouse with the corresponding place of performance of judge’s duties in the area of activity of the court (pursuant to decision of the Saeima on the appointment of a judge as a judge of regional court)
  • Decision on transferring of a judge to work within the same court instance (pursuant to recommendation of the Minister of Justice)
  • Transfer of a judge to another place of performance of judge’ duties within the area of court activity (at the proposal of the Minister of Justice, with the consent of the judge)
  • Transfer of a judge to a higher court instance (to regional court - based on a positive opinion of the Judicial Qualification Committee; to the Supreme Court - upon a recommendation of the President of the Supreme Court, based on a positive opinion of the general meeting of a corresponding department of the Senate)
  • Transfer of a judge to a lower court instance (with the consent of the judge)
  • In case of vacant post or temporary absence of a judge of a district (city) court the Judicial Council may instruct a judge of another district (city) court, the Judge Emeritus or the judge of a regional court (upon recommendation of the Minister of Justice) to execute duties of a judge for the period not exceeding two years  
  • In case of vacant post or temporary absence of a judge of a regional court, the Judicial Council may instruct a judge of another regional court or judge of a district (city) court to substitute the judge absent (upon recommendation of the Minister of Justice, on the basis of positive statement of the Judicial Qualification Committee) for the period not exceeding two years
  • In case of vacant post or temporary absence of a judge of the Senate, the Judicial Council may instruct a judge of a regional court (upon recommendation of the President of the Supreme Court, on the basis of positive statement of the respective department of the Senate) to substitute a judge for the period not exceeding two years 
  • Approval of the criteria for the preparation of the opinion of the general meeting of the Senate's judges on a candidate for a position of a judge of the Supreme Court or on a judge applying to replace a judge of the Supreme Court (upon the proposal of the President of the Supreme Court).
  • Appointment of the chair of the district (city) court and the chair of the regional court for a term of five years and releases the chair of the court from office prematurely on his own choice or at the recommendation of the Minister of Justice if the chair of a court has committed gross violations or is unable to perform his duties to ensure the quality management of the administrative work of the court.
  • Granting the title of the Judge Emeritus to a judge who has worked in good faith and has terminated the duties of a judge.

Applications to the Constitutional Court  

  • In cases and procedures specified by the Constitutional Court Law, the Judicial Council may submit an application regarding the initiation of a matter to the Constitutional Court, appealing against compliance of legal standards to the Constitution, if those touch upon issues related to judiciary.