In the centenary year of Latvia, the Constitutional Court invites representatives from 25 countries to discuss the role of courts in the globalised world
From 24 May to 25 May, the Constitutional Court is organising the conference “The Role of the Constitutional Courts in the Globalised World of the 21st Century”. This conference will be the major international event of the field of law held in Latvia in the year of its centenary. The conference will be attended by representatives of constitutional jurisdictions from 25 countries, among others, from Italy, France, Germany, and Spain. Scholars and experts of law, invited guests from the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as a number of officials representing institutions of Latvia and the Council of Europe also will participate in the Conference.
The topic of the Conference was chosen to establish how globalisation processes have influenced the functioning of the Constitutional Courts and institutions of constitutional review, as well as the content of their rulings. Possible improvements in the work of the Constitutional Courts and institutions of constitutional review will be discussed in the conference, in view of the significant and constantly growing supra-national influence of these institutions.
Thursday, 24 May, will be the opening day of the Conference, the participants will be addressed by the President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis, the Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis, the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court Ivars Bičkovičs, the President of the Council of Europe Commission “Democracy through Law” (the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio and the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia Ineta Ziemele. During the opening part of the Conference the Minister for Justice Dzintars Rasnačs will award to the Justice of the Constitutional Court Daiga Rezevska the 2nd degree Badge of Honour of the Justice System for particularly significant contribution to the development of the justice system and judicature, strengthening democracy and the rule of law, as well as for particularly significant scientific achievements in the field of law, development of international relations and promoting knowledge and professionalism of officials belonging to the system of justice.
The opening of the Conference will be followed by two sessions, in which presentations will be given by the participants of the Conference, each session will be concluded by a discussion among the participants. The speakers of the first session will be: the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union Eleanor Sharpston, the Judge of the European Court of Human Rights Mārtiņš Mits, the member of the Constitutional Council of France Claire Bazy Malaurie, the President of the Constitutional Court of Belgium André Alen, the Judge of the German Constitutional Court Doris Köning and the Deputy President of the Constitutional Court the Republic of Croatia Snježana Bagić.
During the second session presentation will be given by: the Judge of the Austrian Constitutional Court Johannes Schnizer, the President of the Constitutional Court of Hungary Tamás Sulyok, the Vice-president of the Constitutional Court of Spain María Encarnación Roca Trías, the Judge of the Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic David Uhlíř, the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia Ineta Ziemele.
On Thursday, 24 May, mass media representatives are invited to attend the conference from 9.00- 17.00, at the hotel “Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel” (ground floor) in Riga, Kuģu Street 24. Registration of attendance is mandatory, by e-mailing: Ketija.Strazda@satv.tiesa.gov.lv, or phoning: +371 26200580.
The description of the Conference’s topic is available here.
The agenda of the Conference is available here.
The first day of the Conference will be streamed online here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5_kkIKFk1Y&feature=youtu.be
On Friday, 25 May, the second day of the Conference, a round-table discussion will be held, all invited foreign guests, the Justices and employees of the Constitutional Court of Latvia, as well as scholars and experts of law from Latvia will participate. A video recording of the round-table discussion will be available on the home page of the Constitutional Court after the Conference.