In its session on the 25th of November 2010, having reviewed budget request of courts for 2011 and having expressed an opinion about it, the Board of Justice supported budget request of departments of Land books, district (city) courts and regional courts, summarised by the Ministry of Justice, except for its part on remuneration of judges.
The budget request in its part on remuneration of judges was prepared by the Ministry of Justice on the basis of draft laws providing to include judicial wages in united system of wages of employees of state and municipal institutions. The Board of Justice will review this part of budget request in its next session, alongside with draft laws sent by the Saeima. The Council of Justice had received draft laws of amendments to the “Law on Wages of Officials and Employees of State and Municipal Institutions”, to the law “On Judicial Power”, to the Law on Prosecutor’s Office and to the Law on Constitutional Court shortly before the session, so it was impossible to prepare and discuss this issue this time.
Aigars Stokenbergs, the Minister of Justice, and Martins Lazdovskis, the secretary of the State of the Ministry of Justice, explained that only minimum is envisaged in budget request for 2011 to provide work of courts and departments of Land books. When accepting the budget request of courts, the Council of Justice pointed out that it didn’t contain sufficient financing for remuneration of employees of courts and for other priorities in development of judiciary stated in government declaration. Among these topical issues, representatives of judges stressed cooperation – both in field of judicial training and with foreign countries, and Sandra Strence, the Chair of Riga regional court, indicated that ever increasing number of cases reviewed in courts is not taken into account in the draft of a budget.
In its turn, budget request of the Supreme Court is prepared according to the law “On Judicial Power” being effective and to the judgment of the Constitutional Court in case No 2009-111-01 of the 22nd of June, 2010. The budget request also includes such positions as insurance of health and life of judges, remuneration of judges’ work on accepting investigatory activities, ensuring work of the Board of Justice and the Disciplinary Court, which are stated in the law “On Judicial Power”. In 2010, financing of these positions was not provided in the budget. The Council of Justice accepted budget request prepared by the Supreme Court.
The next session of the Board of Justice will take place on the 1st of December at 14.00 o’clock. It will be dedicated to review of draft laws providing inclusion of wages of judges and prosecutors in united system of wages of employees of state and municipal institutions.
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