2 November, 2015
After the meeting with the Committee for Improvement of Legal Environment, Ivars Bickovics, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, expresses his satisfaction that the committee founded by the President of the State has assessed importance of the Council for the Judiciary in representation of the judiciary, and the strengthening of role of the Council for the Judiciary is one of the first issues the committee works on.
When analysing activity of the Council for the Judiciary, the Committee for Improvement of Legal Environment on 29 October met the Chair of the Council for the Judiciary and heard his opinion on different aspects of Council’s activities. Conversation concerned questions on legal framework for activity of the Council for the Judiciary, and possible determination of Council’s authority in the Constitution. The Committee heard the opinion of the Chair of the Council for the Judiciary regarding composition and administration of work of the Council, different aspects of cooperation between the Council for the Judiciary and the legislator, and necessity for extension of the Council’s functions. The Chair of the Council for the Judiciary pointed out that the Council appreciates amendments to the law “On Judicial Power” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and progressed to the Saeima (Parliament), which envisage expansion of functions of the Council for the Judiciary in promotion of judges. It has been envisaged that the Council for the Judiciary would adopt decisions regarding further promotion of a judge approved by the Saeima, and regarding appointment of Chairs of regional courts and district (city) courts in the office.
To develop cooperation between the Council for the Judiciary and the Committee for Improvement of Legal Environment, joint sitting of both institutions might be, possibly, organised in future. The Chair of the Council for the Judiciary also invited Aivars Endzins, the Chair of the Committee, and members of the Committee to participate in Latvian Judges’ Conference to be held on 13 November.
The Council for the Judiciary is a collegial authority, which is involved in the elaboration of the policy and strategy for the judicial system, as well as improving the organisation of the work of the court system. The Council for the Judiciary was founded in 2010, and its goal is to counterbalance relations between executive power, judicial power and legislative power. The Council for the Judiciary is composed of 15 members – eight ex officio members (the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chair of the Constitutional Court, the Minister of Justice, the Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima, the Prosecutor General, Chairs of the Council of Sworn Advocates, the Council of Sworn Notaries and the Council of Sworn Bailiffs) and seven elected judges.
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