Latvia
CEPEJ Member: Aija BRANTA
Justice of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court
36 Brivibas boulevard
LV-RIGA 1511
Latvia - European Cyberjustice Network members (ECN)
Voldemars KIZINO
Head of IT Division, Information Systems and Technology Department of the Court Administration of Latvia
Agnija KARLSONE-DJOMKINA
Head of Division for International cooperation and analytics
National Correspondent
Līga REINFELDE
International Cooperation and Analytics Division
The Court Administration
Antonijas street 6
Riga, LV-1010
Pilot Courts
Kurzeme Regional Court
Didzis AKTUMANIS
Chairman
Kurmajas Prospekets 2/4/6, 3401 LIEPAJA
Riga city Pardaugava Court
Adrija BULINA
President
Daugavgrivas street 58, Riga, LV-1007
Evaluation Exercise
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2022 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2020 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2018 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2016 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2012 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2010 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2008 Edition
- Latvia: Evaluation exercise - 2006 Edition
- Latvia: Pilot scheme
Links to relevant Institutions
- Ministry of Justice
- Latvia Courts Portal
- Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia
- Court administration
- Supreme Court
- Riga Regional Court
- Council of Latvian Sworn Bailiffs
- Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates
- Association of Lawyers
- Juridica Law information resources
- NAIS - Latvian Legislation Database
Resources
- Legal texts (Codes, laws, regulations etc.)
- Case-law of the higher court/s
- Other documents (e.g. forms)
Recent developments in the judicial field
- CEPEJ Programme "Evaluation of the Latvia judicial system" (2017)
- Peer’s evaluation of the Latvian system for judicial statistics (14-15 November 2013)
- Recent developments in latvia since June 2013
On September 2013 amendments to the law "On Judicial Power" came into force, adding a new section to the law "On the management of the lenght of proceedings in court". Law stipulates that the Chief judge of the court, prior to the begining of each calendar year, in cooperation with the judges of the court plans and defines the objectives of the court’s activities regarding the average time of hearing cases in court (the standart for hearing) and supervises the actual terms of hearing.
Law also stipulates that chief judge has the authority to verify the compliance with the procedural terms in the cases in the adjudication by a judge, to give orders to a judge in connection with the organisation of a judge’s work. If a judge, without reasonable grounds, fails to perform necessary procedural actions to ensure that a case is heard within reasonable time, as well as in cases, if the term planned by the judge does not ensure hearing of the case within reasonable time, the chief judge may: (1) impose an appropriate term upon the judge, within which, considering the circumstances of the case, the respective procedural action must be performed; (2) re-allocate cases to judges in accordance with case allocation plan.
To promote uniform practice in aplying the aforementioned amendments to the Law, the Ministry of Jutice has elaborated metodological material for chief judges of courts – Guidelines for setting standart lenght of proceedings. The Guidelines was elaborated, taking into consideration SATURN Guidelines for Judicial Time Management as well as the study conducted by the European Network of Councils of the Judiciary „Judicial Reform in Europe – Part II. 2012-2013”.
European Day of Civil Justice
- Traditionally, as every year, first year students of legal programmes of the higher educational institutes, teachers and group of schoolchildren come to guided tours to the Supreme Court. During those visits they were introduced of the work of court system, with the duties of judges and court staff, as well as with the work of communication and IT specialists. They have been provided an opportunity to get acquainted with the museum of the Supreme Court, to walk over the Palace of Justice and to see how cases have been herd.
Satisfaction surveys
- Evaluation by court clients - the road to improving functioning of courts
2010 Research on court functioning evaluation
Overview of conducting research and survey results
Latvija, Riga, 2011 - LVA - Iekšejo klientu aptauja: darba vides un darba apstaklu
Novertejums petijuma rezultatu zinojums
Petijuma pasutitajs: nodibinajums
"Latvijas tiesnešu macibu centrs" (in Latvian)
Organisational chart of the system of justice
Translation of CEPEJ documents
- European Ethical Charter on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Systems and their environment - Eiropas Ētikas harta par mākslīgā intelekta izmantošanu tiesu sistēmās un vidē
- Case weighting in judicial systems - CEPEJ Studies No. 28 - Lietu svēršana tiesu sistēmās (CEPEJ(2020)9)
- Declaration on lessons learnt and Challenges faced by the judiciary during and after the Covid-19 Pandemic -CEPEJ PAZIŅOJUMS - TIESU IESTĀŽU ATZIŅAS UN PROBLĒMAS COVID-19 PANDĒMIJAS LAIKĀ UN PĒC TĀS (CEPEJ(2020)8Rev)
- Breaking up judges’ isolation - Guidelines to improve the judge's skills and competences, strengthen knowledge sharing and collaboration, and move beyond a culture of judicial isolation - Tiesnešu nošķirtības novēršana - Vadlīnijas tiesnešu prasmju un kompetences uzlabošanai, zināšanu apmaiņas un sadarbības stiprināšanai un tiesu iestāžu nošķirtības kultūras novēršanai (CEPEJ(2019)15)
- Revised SATURN guidelines for judicial time management - PĀRSKATĪTAS SATURN VADLĪNIJAS LIETU IZSKATĪŠANAS LAIKA PĀRVALDĪBAI (3. pārskatīšana) (CEPEJ(2018)20)
- Guide on communication with the media and the public for courts and prosecuting authorities - Rokasgrāmata tiesām un kriminālvajāšanas iestādēm par saziņu ar plašsaziņas līdzekļiem un sabiedrību (CEPEJ(2018)15)
- Implementation guide "Towards European timeframes for judicial proceedings" / Ceļā uz Eiropas lietu izskatīšanas termiņiem tiesvedības procesā Īstenošanas vadlīnijas (CEPEJ(2016)5)
- Guidelines on the Creation of Judicial Maps to Support Access to Justice within a Quality Judicial System - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija(cepej) - tiesu sistemas kvalitates darba grupa (CEPEJ-GT-QUAL) - (CEPEJ(2013)7)
- Handbook for conducting satisfaction surveys aimed at Court users in Council of Europe's member States - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (cepej) - rokasgramata tiesas klientu apmierinatibas novertešanas veikšanai eiropas padomes dalibvalstis (CEPEJ(2010)1)
- Checklist for promoting the quality of justice and the courts - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - Raditaju saraksts tiesnešu un tiesu sistemas darbibas kvalitates uzlabošanai (CEPEJ(2008)2)
- CEPEJ guidelines on judicial statistics (GOJUST) - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) / CEPEJ vadlinijas tiesu statistikai (GOJUST) (CEPEJ (2008)11)
- Saturn guidelines for judicial time management - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - saturn vadlinijas lietu izskatišanas laika planošanai (CEPEJ(2008)8Rev)
- Guidelines for a better implementation of the existing Recommendation on alternatives to litigation between administrative authorities and private parties - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija(CEPEJ) - vadlinijas rekomendaciju alternativam stridu risinašanai starp iestadi un privatpersonu labakai ieviešanai (CEPEJ(2007)15)
- Guidelines for a better implementation of the existing recommendation concerning family mediation and mediation in civil matters - vadlinijas rekomendaciju mediacijai gimenes lietas un civillietas labakai ieviešanai - Ievads (CEPEJ(2007)14)
- Guidelines for a better implementation of the existing recommendation concerning mediation in penal matters - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - vadlinijas rekomendaciju par mediaciju kriminallietas labakai ieviešanai (CEPEJ(2007)13)
- Compendium of “best practices” on time management of judicial proceedings - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - Labas prakses par laika vadibu tiesvediba apkopojums (CEPEJ(2006)13)
- Time management checklist (Checklist of indicators for the analysis of lengths of proceedings in the justice system) - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - laika vadibas kontroljautajumu saraksts (Raditaju saraksts tiesas procesu ilguma analizei tiesu sistema) (CEPEJ(2005)12Rev)
- A new objective for judicial systems: the processing of each case within an optimum and foreseeable timeframe - Framework Programme - eiropas tiesu sistemu efektivitates komisija (CEPEJ) - Jauns merkis tiesu sistemam: ikvienas lietas izskatišana optimala un paredzama laika (CEPEJ (2004) 19 REV 2)
Collaborative workspaces: