On Wednesday, 5 March, the Chair of the Judicial Council, Aigars Strupišs, met with the Director of the Academy of Justice, Laila Jurcēna, to discuss the Academy's development plans and issues related to its activities.
During the meeting, L. Jurcēna informed about the operational launch of the Academy of Justice, the institutional works already carried out and the necessary measures for the successful implementation of its activities. The Director of the Academy emphasised that since the commencement of Academy’s work on 1 January 2025, training activities have been provided to judges and prosecutors in accordance with the training plan approved by the Judicial Council, although the premises of the Academy of Justice are not yet available.
Both officials agreed that the Academy of Justice should be established as a single platform supporting the quality performance of judicial and prosecutorial functions, providing an opportunity to acquire the necessary knowledge, freely discuss and exchange views on topical legal issues during training events.
Taking into account the competence of the Judicial Council, A. Strupišs and L. Jurcēna discussed the strategic objectives and directions of the training, as well as the principles of developing training programmes.
A. Strupišs emphasised that within the framework of the activities of the Academy of Justice it is essential to ensure effective feedback between lecturers and the target audience of the Academy of Justice. This feedback should be integrated into the daily work of the Academy in order to ascertain the quality and usefulness of the training. A. Strupišs also indicated that one of the immediate tasks of the Academy is to provide training activities for assistants to judges who are potentially interested in becoming judges, in order to improve their qualifications.
It has already been reported that the Judicial Council exercises functional supervision over the Academy of Justice, therefore the Chair of the Judicial Council plans to meet regularly with the management of the Academy of Justice to discuss topical issues and strengthen the role of the Academy in the effective administration of justice in the public interest.
Additional information:
The Academy of Justice plans, organises and implements training for judges and court staff, prosecutors and prosecution staff who provide legal support in the performance of prosecutorial duties, as well as for investigators on issues relevant to the effective administration of justice.
On 18 February 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed L. Jurcēna as Director of the Academy of Justice.