11 September, 2014
On Friday, 12 September, judges shall re-elect representatives in institutions of judicial self-government – the Judicial Disciplinary Committee, the Judicial Qualification Committee and the Judicial Ethics Commission. Elections shall be held in electronic form.
Due to expiration of term of office of members of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee elected at Judges’ Conference in September 2010, judges have to re-elect composition of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee. Only the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee, Peteris Dzalbe, shall continue work, as he was elected to the Judicial Disciplinary Committee in 2011 as the deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and in accordance with Transitional Provisions of the law “On Judicial Power” continues work in the Committee until expiration of quadrennial term of office, although there is no office of the deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court anymore.
The Judicial Disciplinary Committee consists of four judges of the Supreme Court, two Chairs of regional courts, two Chairs of district (city) courts and two Heads of the Land Registry offices.
In extramural conference of 12 September, judges have to re-elect also a member to the Judicial Ethics Commission and one member to the Judicial Qualification Committee.
A member of the Judicial Ethics Commission must be re-elected, as quadrennial term of office of work in the Commission of the judge Anita Kovalevska, the judge of the Administrative regional court, expires. As she was elected in 2010 from among candidates nominated by judges of district (city) courts, this time candidates shall also be nominated by judges of district (city) courts, but judges of all instances shall vote. The candidate may be from a court of any instance.
A member of the Judicial Qualification Committee in his turn must be re-elected from among civil judges of the Supreme Court, as maximum age for discharge of judicial duties of Gunars Aigars, the Chair of the Chamber of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court, expires in November. As Gunars Aigars has also been the Chair of the Judicial Qualification Committee, the Committee will have to elect new Chair from among its members.
The Council for the Judiciary appointed Aija Ornina, the Chair of Riga city Kurzeme district court, as the Head, and Ilze Ievina, the judge of the Land Registry office of Riga city Vidzeme suburb court – the secretary of judges’ e-conference of 12 September. Electronic voting procedure is organized and ensured by the Court Administration.
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