27 August, 2015
In the sitting of the Council for the Judiciary to be held on Monday, 31 August, the Council for the Judiciary will discuss training needs within framework of the project “Strengthening of human resources capacity of employees of judiciary and law enforcement institutions”, and will determine training priorities and research directions.
The plan of strengthening of human resources capacity and development of competencies of employees of judiciary and law enforcement institutions for years 2015-2020 will be implemented using co-financing of the European Social Fund. The project planned will be implemented by the Court Administration, in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Supreme Court, and the State Forensic Expertise Bureau. The plan is approved by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The Court Administration has summarised needs related to training of employees of judiciary and law enforcement institutions, and training topics were discussed in the Ministry of Justice with non-governmental organisations and representatives of employers. Summary of training needs is submitted for consideration and coordination by the Council for the Judiciary.
The Council for the Judiciary will also discuss solutions prepared by the Ministry of Justice regarding balancing of salaries of judges and prosecutors with salaries of civil servants employed in state administration. After inclusion of judges and prosecutors in unified remuneration system, the Council for the Judiciary has analysed actual wages and drew attention to the problem that planned balance is destroyed, by abolishing limitations on extras and bonuses in public administration sector, but preserving them in respect of judges and prosecutors. The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Justice, in co-operation with the Ministry of Finance, to consider the letter of the Council for the Judiciary on wages of judges and prosecutors, and, as a result, three possible versions of solution of this problem were prepared, and the Council for the Judiciary will get familiarised with them.
The Ministry of Justice asks the Council for the Judiciary to provide its opinion about possible abolishment of administrative immunity of judges and prosecutors. This issue was updated in accordance with recommendations given by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption to Latvia.
The agenda of the sitting of the Council for the Judiciary also includes issues on re-division of number of judges and transfer of judges. These issues are related to reorganisation of structure of first instance courts, by implementing concept of court houses.
The sitting of the Council for the Judiciary will be held on Monday, 31 August, in Room 461 of the Supreme Court, the beginning is at 13.00 o’clock.
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