3 September, 2014
On Friday, September 5, the key subject of the agenda of Latvian Judges’ Conference shall be the Council for the Judiciary. The first quadrennial term of operation of the new institution of Latvian court system expires, and Judges’ Conference shall analyse and assess, how the Council for the Judiciary managed to arrange its work procedure and to strengthen place and role in Latvian court system and in system of public government, in general.
Message of the President of the State to judges is expected at the conference. Allocutions shall be presented by the Speaker of the Parliament Solvita Aboltina. Reports shall be read by Ivars Bickovics, the Chair of the Council for the Judiciary, and members of the Council – the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins, the Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament Ilma Cepane and the Chair of the Council of Sworn Advocates Janis Grinbergs.
In Latvia, the Council for the Judiciary is a new institution, that’s why it is important to share information and un pieredzē ar kolēģiem, kam tradīcijas senākas. Reports at the conference shall be read by Gintaras Kryzevicius, the Chair of the Judicial Council of Lithuania, Katarzyna Gonera, the member of the National Council of Judiciary of Poland and Levan Murusidze, the Secretary of the High Council of Justice of Georgia.
Agenda of the Judges’ Conference also includes elections of the Council for the Judiciary, as term of office of first elected members of the Council for the Judiciary, i.e. judges, expires. The Judges’ Conference must elect six judges to work in he Council for the Judiciary – one from among judges of Land Registry offices, three – from among those of district (city) courts and two – from among judges of regional courts.
Moreover, the report on work shall be given to Judges’ Conference by Heads of institutions of judicial self-government – Gunars Aigars, the Chair of the Judicial Qualification Committee, Visvaldis Sprudzans, the Chair of the Judicial Ethics Commission, and Peteris Dzalbe, the Head of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee.
Judges of the Supreme Court, regional courts, district (city) courts and Land Registry offices participate at Judges’ Conference with voting right. Judges of the Constitutional Court and Judges Emeritus, members of the Council for the Judiciary, deputies of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima (Parliament) and the Ombudsman are also invited to the Conference.
The Council for the Judiciary is a collegial institution, which is involved in the elaboration of the policy and strategy for the judicial system, as well as improving the organisation of the workof the court system. In accordance with Section 92 of the law “On Judicial Power”, the Council for the Judiciary convenes the Judges’ Conference at least once a year.
Judges’ Conference shall be held on Friday, 5 September, in Riga Congress Hall. It shall begin at 9.30.
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