22 March, 2016
The Judges’ Conference of this year, to be held on 13 May, will be dedicated to issues related to judicial ethics, because the composition of the Judicial Ethics’ Committee, which has worked since the establishment of the Committee in 2008, must be re-elected. In accordance with the law “On Judicial Power”, a member of the Judicial Ethics’ Committee is elected for the term of four years and not more than for two consecutive terms.
Not to overload the Judges’ Conference with time-consuming election procedure, it was decided to organise nomination and election of new members to the Judicial Ethics’ Committee by electronic means. Therefore, the Council for the Judiciary decided to divide the Judges’ Conference into two parts: one part to be held in presence on 13 May, and extramural part – electronic elections – to be held on 20 May.
Candidates will be nominated by electronic means in advance, but in the part of conference to be held on 13 May their visions on urgencies of judicial ethics will be heard, and opportunity to ask questions to colleagues will be provided. The final stage – voting for the candidates – will continue in electronic way on 20 May, when members to the Judicial Ethics’ Committee – two from among candidates nominated by the judges of the Supreme Court, three from among candidates nominated by the judges of regional courts, two from among candidates nominated by the judges of district (city) courts, and two from among candidates nominated by the judges of Land Registry Offices.
The Council for the Judiciary assigned Juris Stukans, the judge of Riga regional court, to be the manager, and Sanita Strakse, the judge of Riga city Ziemelu district court – the secretary of the Judges’ Conference to held in presence. Moreover, Maris Vigants, the Chair of Administrative regional court, was assigned as the manager, and Jolanta Livena, the judge of the Land Registry Office of Riga district court – as the secretary of extramural part of the Conference.
The Council for the Judiciary also set up the counting committee in following composition: Aija Ava, the Chair of Riga city Ziemelu district court; Marika Bebrisa, the judge of Riga regional court, and Ieva Zabarovska, the deputy Head of the Land Registry Office of Riga city Vidzeme suburb court.
The Council for the Judiciary approved the Plan of organisation and course of the Judges’ Conference for electronic elections of the Judicial Ethics’ Committee. In accordance with the plan, candidates to the Judicial Ethics’ Committee must be nominated until 25 April.
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