16 April, 2015
On Monday, the agenda of the sitting of the Council for the Judiciary includes two important questions – coordination on candidate to the office of the Prosecutor General and expressing of opinion on candidates to the office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The Law on the Prosecutor’s Office states that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, prior to nomination of a candidate to the office of the Prosecutor General to the vote by the Saeima (Parliament) must coordinate this candidature with the Council for the Judiciary. In accordance with this provision, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has nominated candidacy of Eriks Kanmeiers, the current Prosecutor General, for the coordination by the Council for the Judiciary.
Term of office of Eriks Kalnmeiers expires on 11 July. The Prosecutor General is appointed by the Saeima for five years upon proposal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court coordinated with the Council for the Judiciary.
On 16 June, in turn, term of office of Ivars Bickovics, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, expires, thus the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court must nominate a candidate to the vote by the Saeima. In accordance with amendments to the law “On Judicial Power”, there is new procedure of nomination of candidates to the office of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court this time – the Council for the Judiciary must provide an opinion about candidates, and this opinion is presented to the Plenary Session.