At its meeting on 24 January 2025, the Judicial Council examined the court performance indicators for the past year, which show an increase in the workload in the judicial system and the need to optimise resources.
In 2024, 48 999 litigation cases were received for consideration by all courts in Latvia, which is 12% more than the number of cases received in 2023 – 43 608 litigation cases. Last year, 43 950 litigation cases were examined, which means that the judicial system operated at 90% throughput. In order to reduce the overload of the judicial system, the Judicial Council will look for solutions to optimise resources, promoting the efficiency of the judicial system.
In 2024, 110 365 non-contentious cases were pending before all courts in Latvia, an increase of 31% compared to 2023. Last year, 104 576 non-contentious cases were heard, which means that the court system has been working with a 95% throughput rate in these cases.
In 2024, 235 290 requests for consolidation in the land registry were received by all courts in Latvia, which is about 0.7% less than the number of requests for consolidation received in 2023.
The performance indicators of Latvian courts also show that the average time taken to process cases has increased. In 2024, it was 7.7 months per court instance, while in 2023 it was 6.53 months.
Looking at the number of judges in Latvian courts, there are currently 70 vacancies and around 66 judges are already eligible for retirement pension or length-of-service pension. This suggests that in the near future the judicial system may experience a significant shortage of judges, which will undermine its ability to deal with cases effectively, putting additional pressure on an already overloaded system. To address the shortage of judicial staff, the Judicial Council has identified the attraction of legally qualified staff as one of its main areas of action in 2025, by improving the professional standards and remuneration system. The Chair of the Judicial Council, Aigars Strupišs, has repeatedly highlighted the problem of shortage of judges and court staff, pointing out that it has a significant impact on the efficiency of the judicial system.
A more detailed analysis of the court performance indicators for 2019-2024 is available on the Judicial Council's website.
Judicial Council nominates Laila Jurcēna for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice
The Judicial Council approved the nomination of Laila Jurcēna for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice. Laila Jurcēna holds a doctorate in law and has worked for more than 20 years in the justice system and public administration. She had been an expert at the German Agency for International Cooperation, as well as Deputy Head of the Chancery of the President of the Republic of Latvia and, until recently, acted as a consultant to the Ministry of Justice on the establishment of the Academy of Justice. Laila Jurcēna was awarded the Ministry of Justice's Honorary Badge of the 3rd degree in 2018 and the Constitutional Court's Certificate of Recognition in 2021. She is also the author of several publications. "I see the Academy of Justice as a centre of excellence for the training and development of the judiciary and legal professions, which promotes the rule of law, the quality of the judicial function and helps to develop high professional and ethical standards," said Laila Jurcēna at a sitting of the Judicial Council.
The Minister of Justice nominates a candidate for the appointment as Director of the Academy of Justice upon the proposal of the Judicial Council. The final decision on the appointment of the Director of the Academy of Justice is taken by the Cabinet of Ministers.
On 16 May 2025, Latvian Judges Conference to be convened on "Judicial Efficiency: Contemporary Challenges"
The Judicial Council decided to convene the Latvian Judges Conference on 16 May 2025. The theme of the Conference will be "Judicial efficiency: contemporary challenges".
Decisions of the Judicial Council on the career of judges
The Judicial Council appointed Judge Guntis Lauskis and Judge Vita Vjatere as Deputy Presidents of the Riga District Court for five years.
The Judicial Council also appointed district (city) court Judge Ilze Butkus to perform judicial duties at the District Administrative Court in Riga. Ilze Butkus was appointed as a judge of a district (city) court by the decision of the Saeima (parliament) of the Republic of Latvia of 19 December 2024.
Whereas, the Judicial Council did not support the nomination of Judge Ligita Multiņa for the position of Deputy President of the Latgale District Court.
Additional information:
Court performance indicators serve as the basis for the Judicial Council's decisions with regard to improving the long-term performance of courts, ensuring fair and timely delivery of justice for all Latvian citizens.
The main task of the Director of the Academy of Justice is to develop a system of continuing education for judges, court staff, prosecutors and prosecution staff, creating a learning environment that promotes sustainable learning outcomes. One of the Director's responsibilities is to represent the Academy in the international environment by developing and maintaining cooperation with international organisations and judicial training institutions in other countries.
The Latvian Judges Conference is the highest self-governing body of judges, attended by all judges in Latvia to exchange experiences and discuss topical issues of the judicial system’s development. The Conference is convened at least once a year by the Judicial Council.
In accordance with the current procedure, the Judicial Council, taking into account the opinion of the Commission for the evaluation of candidates for the position of district (city) court and regional court presidents, as well as deputy presidents thereof and candidates for the position of courthouse presidents, adopts a decision on the appointment of candidates to the office.
On the basis of the decision of the Saeima (parliament) on the appointment of a judge as a judge of a district (city) court, the Judicial Council shall determine a specific district (city) court or its courthouse with a corresponding place of performance of judicial duties within the territory of court’s activity.