On Tuesday, 19 November, the Judicial Council approved conditions and the procedure for the application for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice, as well as the procedure for the selection and evaluation of applicants.
The post of Director of the Academy of Justice will be open to applicants who shall meet the requirements set out in Section 5, Paragraph five of the Law on the Academy of Justice, i.e. a person has to be a Latvian citizen of impeccable reputation, has to have the highest level of knowledge of the national language, has to have at least a second level higher education and professional experience appropriate to the duties of the post, as well as has to comprehend the principles and values of the justice system.
The selection of candidates for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice will take place in three rounds. In the first round there will be the assessment of compliance with the requirements set out in Section 5, Paragraph five of the Law on the Academy of Justice, the conditions for applying, as well as the assessment of the submitted vision on the priorities of the Academy of Justice and the planned measures for their implementation over the next five-year period. In the second round, a commission will assess the applicants' motivation, communication, reasoning and presentation skills, presentation of the priorities of the Academy of Justice and planned measures for their implementation, as well as answers to the questions of the commission. In the third round of the selection procedure, the commission will assess the applicant's professional and behavioural competences in a competency-based interview.
The applicants will be evaluated by the said commission composed of three representatives of the judiciary nominated by the Judicial Council and three representatives of the executive branch nominated by the Minister of Justice. The commission will then refer the successful candidates to the Judicial Council for a hearing. The Minister of Justice, in turn, will nominate the candidate who receives the support of the Judicial Council to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval as the Director of the Academy of Justice.
The Cabinet of Ministers will announce an open competition for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice.
Moreover, the Judicial Council decided to transfer Daiga Lubāne, Judge of the District Administrative Court to the Regional Administrative Court as of 20 November 2024. Daiga Lubāne has been working as a judge for almost 12 years. Since 2013, when the Saeima appointed her as a district (city) court judge, Daiga Lubāne has been a judge at the District Administrative Court. Judge Daiga Lubāne applied for the post of a judge of the Regional Administrative Court in an open competition and participated in the selection of candidates for the post of a judge of a regional court. On the basis of the positive opinion of the Judicial Qualification Committee on the suitability of Daiga Lubāne, Judge of the District Administrative Court, to work at the regional court, the Judge was included in the list of candidates for the post of Judge of the Regional Administrative Court.
Additional information:
The Judicial Council determines conditions and the procedure for the application for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice, as well as the procedure for the selection and evaluation of applicants. The selection of candidates for the post of Director of the Academy shall be carried out by a commission established by the Judicial Council. The commission shall include representatives of the judiciary and the executive in equal numbers. The Cabinet of Ministers, after hearing the opinion of the Judicial Council, shall determine the requirements to be met by candidates and shall announce an open competition for the post of Director of the Academy of Justice.
One of the functions of the Judicial Council under the law On Judicial Power is the transfer of a first instance court judge to a regional court.