Strong and independent Constitutional Court is an indispensable element in the development of Latvia as a democratic state governed by the rule of law. The Constitutional Court, being the guardian of the Satversme, defends the fundamental values and freedoms of all individuals in Latvia.
The judicial power protects justice as one of the fundamental values of a state governed by the rule of law and acts in society’s interests. (The Constitutional Court’s Judgement of 12 November 2015 in Case No. 2015-06-01, Para 11.1.)
The Constitutional Court’s task is to ensure, in line with its competence, the existence of such legal system, in which, as fully and comprehensibly as possible, a regulation that is incompatible with the Satversme or legal norms (acts) of higher legal force would be eliminated, as well as to provide its assessment on constitutionally important matters. (The Constitutional Court’s Judgement of 7 April 2009 in Case No. 2008-35-01, Para 11.2.)
The Preamble to the Satversme provides that the State of Latvia was established to ensure freedom and promote welfare of the people of Latvia and each individual. Thus, one of the State’s tasks is to promote the welfare of Latvia’s society. To this end, democratic state order has been created in Latvia. The most effective exercise of human rights and freedoms is possible in the conditions of democracy. (The Constitutional Court’s Judgement of 2 July 2015 in Case No. 2015-01-01, Para 15.1.)
Human dignity and the value of each individual is the substance of human rights. Therefore, in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, both the legislator, in adopting legal norms, and the party applying the legal norms, in the application thereof, must respect human dignity. (The Constitutional Court’s Judgement of 19 December 2017 in Case No. 2017-02-03, Para 19.1.)
