13 November, 2021
The Judicial Council has approved the content of the training programs for judges and court staff for 2022 developed by the Latvian Judicial Training Centre. Public funding and co-financing from the European Social Fund shall be provided for the implementation of the programs.
The content of the programs has been developed in accordance with the Guidelines for the Training of Judges approved by the Judicial Council on 21 May. Solvita Kalniņa-Caune, Chair of the Board of the Judicial Training Centre, acknowledged that the guidelines had provided clear guidance in the development of curricula and facilitated a constructive dialogue on the content of in-service training for judges.
The offer of the Latvian Judicial Training Centre mainly emphasizes the training of new judges, envisaging that the duration of the new judge's training program shall take up to five months during the year. The program includes intensive lectures, work-based learning and mentor support, and an individualized personal development plan for each new judge.
The second program of the Judicial Training Centre is intended for senior judges. Judges' assistants will also be able to take part in the seminars within this program.
Separate trainings are planned for court staff, chairs of courts and judges-lecturers. The Judicial Training Centre also intends to create an e-environment training program.
Whereas, the Court Administration informed the Judicial Council that the co-operation agreement with the Latvian Judicial Training Centre serves as the main direction for providing training for judges and court staff. The second direction of training provision is the European Social Fund project “Justice for Development”, the operation of which will end in 2022. The project has funded both legal training for judges and judicial staff, including training in European Union law, training in information technology and foreign languages, as well as exchanges of experience and various conferences.
The Court Administration has also concluded a co-operation agreement with the US Embassy on the training of judges in certain legal and procedural matters, as well as separate training courses have been organized in co-operation with the Latvian Local Government Training Centre.
Information prepared by
Rasma Zvejniece, the Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court
E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: +371 67020396, +371 28652211