Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade, the Judge of the International Court of Justice, pays an official visit to Latvia upon the invitation by the Constitutional Court
From 13 to 14 May, the Judge of the International Court of Justice Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade pays an official visit to Latvia upon the invitation by the Constitutional Court. The Judge is welcomed by the Constitutional Court, the Court invites all interested parties to use the rare opportunity to listen to the live broadcast of the Judge’s guest lecture “International Tribunals: Their Common Mission of Realization of Justice” on Tuesday, May 14, at 12:00.
Today, on 13 May, the Judge of the International Court of Justice will meet with the Justices and legal staff of the Latvian Constitutional Court to discuss topical matters of the International Court of Justice, the meaning of international law and its increasing role in the national law.
The Judge of the International Court of Justice Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade and the Justices of the Constitutional Court and legal staff of the Constitutional Court. Photo: Toms Norde.
Tomorrow, on 14 May, the Judge of the International Court of Justice will visit the National Library of Latvia, where, together with the Justices of the Constitutional Court, will present to the People’s Book-shelf books that have been of personal importance, providing motivation in the career development and inspiration in daily life.
Following the book donation, at 12:00, the Judge of the International Court of Justice will give a guest lecture “International Tribunals: Their Common Mission of Realization of Justice”. Representatives from all branches of the state power, of the academia, experts of international law, as well as students and other interested persons are invited to the lecture. The guest lecture will be broadcast live at:
During the visit, the Judge of the International Court of Justice has scheduled also meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Justice.
The Judge of the International Court of Justice Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade was born in 1947 in Brazil. He was elected to the office of the Justice of the International Court of Justice in 2009 and was re-elected for a successive term in 2018. Prior to working at the International Court of Justice, was the President and the Judge of The Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Has worked as a diplomat for the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1977, was awarded the doctoral degree in international law from the University of Cambridge. During his career, has been active in the academic environment, has taught at the best universities and institutions of higher education in the world, as, for example, the University of Brasilia, Columbia University, the University of Paris, the Hague Academy of International Law, and others. The Judge is the author of 710 monographs, as well as the author and co-author or more than 50 books on legal science, published in different languages in several countries.
The Judge of the International Court of Justice Antônio Augusto Cançado Trindade with the President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele and the Vice-President Sanita Osipova. Photo: Toms Norde.
Photos from the meeting in the Constitutional Court are available here.
Photos from the International Court Judge’s guest lecture are available here.
Photos from the book donation event in the Latvian National Library are available here.
On the International Court of Justice
The establishment of the International Court of Justice was envisaged in 1945 in the Charter of the United Nations (UN). The International Court of Justice was established on 18 April 1946 in The Hague, the Netherlands. The International Court of Justice has two main lines of activities; first of all, it hears legal disputes between States, and, secondly, provides recommendations to the UN and its specialised agencies. The rulings by the International Court of Justice are binding upon the States involved in the particular legal proceedings.
At the International Court of Justice, cases are heard by 15 Judges, who are elected for a term of nine years (renewable) by the General Assembly and the Security Council. While serving at the International Court of Justice, the Judges are not allowed to take any other position.
On 30 November 2017, the Saeima adopted a law providing that Latvia recognised the mandatory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. However, the Cabinet has not submitted yet the Declaration provided for in the Statute of the International Court of Justice to the Secretariat of the UN, therefore, to settle international disputes with another State, Latvia may not turn to the International Court of Justice and be one of the parties yet.