On Tuesday, 21 January, the Judicial Council approved the main lines of action for 2025.
This year, the Judicial Council will focus on the transfer of administrative support functions from the executive to the judiciary to promote the independence and efficiency of the judicial system. This will be done by enshrining the relevant legal framework in the law “On Judicial Power”. It has already been reported that the Judicial Council has reached a conceptual agreement with the Ministry of Justice on the transfer of the administrative support functions of the judicial system to the judiciary. The Judicial Council is currently working with the Ministry of Justice to develop and implement this transition.
To address the shortage of judicial staff, the Judicial Council plans to attract new employees with legal qualifications, by improving the professional standards and remuneration system. The Chair of the Judicial Council, Aigars Strupišs, has repeatedly pointed to the shortage of judges and court staff, stressing that it is a major obstacle to the efficiency of the judicial system.
At the same time, the Judicial Council intends to strengthen the role of the Academy of Justice in implementing a sustainable and efficient training system, ensuring quality performance of judicial and prosecutorial functions. The Academy of Justice started its activities on 1 January 2025 and, in accordance with the Law on the Academy of Justice, the Judicial Council exercises functional supervision over it.
Additional information:
The Judicial Council's 2025 work priorities are aligned with its 2021-2025 operational strategy, which is available on the Judicial Council's website.