24 May, 2016
In accordance with court reform, along with transfer to system of clear system of three instances, the Chamber of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court will cease to exist on 31 December 2016. To ensure an opportunity to judges, who will not be able to continue work in the Supreme Court after the reform, to work in the appellate instance, the Council for the Judiciary supported a proposal to allocate two additional offices of judges to Riga regional court.
The second proposal of the Ministry of Justice related to distribution of judicial offices concerned allocation of three additional judicial offices for particular period – two years – to the Administrative regional court.
It has been done to reduce backlog of cases in the Administrative regional court, which made 1509 cases at the end of 2015. As there is general trend for decrease of number of administrative cases, it has been foreseen that the Administrative regional court might examine the backlog of cases in two years. Therefore, creation of constant offices of judges would not be useful. The Administrative regional court expressed a proposal to establish three temporary offices of judges, and judges of the Administrative district court would discharge judicial duties for two years in these offices.
The Council for the Judiciary supported advancement of solution, which had not previously occurred in organisation of work of Latvian courts.
The opportunity was found to increase number of judges of district (city) courts per one office. Taking into account that there is one if highest judges’ loads in examination of civil cases in Riga city Vidzeme suburb court, and it would even increase after complete implementation of clear three instances, the Council for the Judiciary supported proposal of the Ministry of Justice regarding the establishment of one new judge’s office in Riga city Vidzeme suburb court.
The decision was adopted by the Council for the Judiciary at the sitting of 23 May.
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