On Friday, 29 November, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced an open competition for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice. Applicants are invited to submit their applications electronically by 19 December.
In order to be eligible for the post of Director, applicants must meet the requirements set out in Section 5 of the Law on the Academy of Justice.
It shall be considered an advantage if an applicant holds a Master's degree in management, law or social sciences or has an equivalent education level, as well as has at least three years' professional experience (acquired within the last 10 years) in the judicial or justice system, experience in a managerial position or in planning and implementing continuing education.
Applicants should also have experience in drafting the organisation's internal rules and regulations and in financial management, as well as should hold a good knowledge of English.
The selection of candidates will be carried out in three rounds and in accordance with the procedure approved by the Judicial Council on 19 November 2024 – Conditions and the procedure for the application for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice, as well as the procedure for the selection and evaluation of applicants.
The competition notice has been published in the Latvian official gazette "Latvijas Vēstnesis", on the CV/Vacancies portal of the State Employment Agency, on the website of the MoJ and on social networks.
At the end of the competition, the Minister of Justice will nominate the candidate, who will have received the support of the Judicial Council, to the Cabinet of Ministers for appointment as the Director of the Academy of Justice. The monthly salary of the Director of the Academy of Justice will be up to EUR 4062 (before tax).
The objectives of the Academy of Justice are laid down in the Law on the Academy of Justice. The Director of the Academy of Justice shall be responsible for developing the system of continuing education for judges, court staff, prosecutors and prosecution staff, creating a learning environment and ensuring the sustainability of learning outcomes. The Director of the Academy of Justice shall also represent the Academy internationally by establishing and maintaining cooperation with international organisations and judicial training institutions in other countries.
Applicants will be evaluated by a panel composed of three representatives of the judiciary nominated by the Judicial Council and three representatives of the executive branch nominated by the Minister of Justice.
Further information:
The Academy of Justice is a priority project of the Ministry of Justice within the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility plan. The Academy of Justice will provide an effective and sustainable system of continuing education for judges, court staff, prosecutors, prosecution staff and investigators. The state will gradually take over the maintenance of its activities and the Academy of Justice will be financed mainly from the state budget.
Already now, within the framework of the Academy of Justice project, judges and prosecutors are improving their knowledge, for example of the causes and development of family disputes, the needs of victims of violence and the consequences of different types of violence. The training strengthens the psychological and emotional resilience of judges and prosecutors.