4 June, 2015
Ivars Bickovics, the Chair of the Council for the Judiciary participates in the General Assembly of the European Network of Councils for Judiciary (ENCJ), which is held in The Hague on 3-5 June. General theme of the Assembly is promoting effective justice systems.
The ENCJ gathering kicked off at the headquarters of the Netherlands Council for the Judiciary in The Hague on Wednesday 3 June, with a closed door session on administrative matters – on elections of the Executive Board, report on work in 2014-2015, report from ENCJ auditors on financial activity in 2014, approval of budget for 2015, membership fee 2016,followed by the opening reception for all participants, co-hosted by the Mayor of The Hague and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Jozias van Aartsen.
Today, on 4 June, the ENCJ General Assembly is held in the Peace Palace. The President of the ENCJ Geoffrey Vos, the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vĕra Jourová and Advocate-General of the Court of Justice of the European Union Eleanor Sharpston deliver the opening remarks.
During the assembly, members will discuss results of Projects 2014-2015 (projects on independence and accountability of judges, and standards of disciplinary proceedings), and topical challenges - communication of the Court and the Council decisions to public, fighting judicial corruption, judges’ salaries (government refusing statutory pay increases for judges), public confidence in judiciary, Ministerial supervision of the courts, setting up of a Council for Judiciary, evaluation of judges for the purpose of promotion, and specific additional functions of judges.
Tomorrow the discussion on judicial training and administrative issues, namely, adoption of recommendations projects, adoption of ENCJ work plan 2015-2016, and adoption of Declaration of The Hague will follow.
ENCJ is non-profitable organisation, which unites the national institutions in the Member States of the European Union which are independent of the executive and legislature. The Association was founded in 2004, to promote cooperation, mutual exchange of experience and analysis of joint information of Councils for the Judiciary of the EU member states. It has also been an opportunity to provide joint information and proposals to the EU institutions. Latvian Council for the Judiciary Latvia joined the Network in 2011.
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