Annual Report 2022
Report on the work of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia in 2022.
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.)
News
Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights shapes the common European identity
On 21 September of the current year, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, in the framework of Latvia’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, held the international conference “The Role of the Judiciary in Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)” to strengthen the dialogue between […]
VIDEO: International conference on execution of judgements of the European Court of Human Rights organised by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Latvia
Today, live streaming of the international conference “The Role of the Judiciary in Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)”, organised the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia with a view to strengthening the shared values within the European legal area and the dialogue between European […]
Live streaming of the conference on execution of judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, organised by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Latvia, on 21 September from 9:30
Tomorrow, on 21 September, live streaming of the international conference “The Role of the Judiciary in Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)”, organised the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia with a view to strengthening the shared values within the European legal area and the […]
International conference on execution of judgements of the European Court of Human Rights organised by the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Latvia
On 21 September, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia are organising an international conference “The Role of the Judiciary in Execution of Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)” with a view to strengthening the shared values within the European legal area and the dialogue between European courts. […]
President of the Constitutional Court of Latvia Aldis Laviņš stresses the importance of balancing the constitutional identity of the country and the rights of the European Union at an international conference in The Hague
On 31 August and 1 September 2023, President of the Constitutional Court of Latvia Aldis Laviņš and Adviser to the President Andrejs Stupins participated in the international conference “EUnited in diversity II: The Rule of Law and Constitutional Diversity” organised by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the Constitutional Court of Belgium, the Constitutional Court […]
Podcast of the Constitutional Court “Tversme”
In 2021, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its existence, as well as to create a new dimension in the dialogue with society, the Constitutional Court of Latvia established the podcast Tversme, which discusses the values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter – the Constitution) and the role of the Constitutional Court […]
The lowest salary rate for pre-school teachers is in conflict with the Constitution
On Thursday, 29 June, the Constitutional Court recognised the following rules of the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations, which establish the lowest salary rate for pre-school teachers, as incompatible with the principle of legal equality set out in the first sentence of Article 91 of the Constitution. The contested rules have been declared void as of […]
New episode of the podcast of the Constitutional Court of Latvia. Mr Kari Kusiniemi, President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland: courts have a special responsibility to represent European values
The Constitutional Court of Latvia publishes a new episode of the podcast “Tversme”, in which Mr Aldis Laviņš, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia, and Mr Kari Kuusiniemi, President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland, discuss the role of constitutional courts in restoring peace and international order during crises, as […]
Dialogue between the Constitutional Courts of the Baltic States strengthens the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights of every citizen in the region
On 23-25 May, a trilateral cooperation meeting was held with the participation of judges of the Constitutional Court of Latvia, the Constitutional Court of Lithuania and the Supreme Court of Estonia. The Constitutional Court of Latvia was represented by its President Aldis Laviņš, Vice-President Irēna Kucina, Judges Anita Rodiņa and Jautrīte Briede, as well as […]
New episode of the podcast of the Constitutional Court of Latvia. Dineke de Groot, the President of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands: The law must work for people
Today, 11 May, the Constitutional Court of Latvia publishes a new episode of the podcast “Tversme”, in which Irēna Kucina, the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court of Latvia, and Dineke de Groot, the President of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, talk about the tradition of constitutional review and protection of constitutional […]
Provision that requires a person to be presumed guilty of previous violation case in repeated tax violation case before the court judgement in this case has entered into effect is incompatible with the Constitution
The Constitutional Court held that a provision that requires a person to be presumed guilty of committing a previous tax violation in a repeated tax violation case, even though the decision on that tax violation has been appealed against in court and the court judgement on it has not yet entered into effect, is incompatible […]
Land use rights comply with the Constitution, while the amount of land use fees does not
The Constitutional Court held that the right to use land regulated in the contested provisions, which replaced the previously existing compulsory lease of land, must be recognised as being compatible with the Constitution. However, the land use fee established in the contested provisions does not comply with the right to own property guaranteed by the […]
The case has been initiated regarding the provision which denies the right to an old-age pension for the persons whose permanent place of residence at the time of applying for the pension is not in Latvia
On 25 April 2023, the 1st Panel of the Constitutional Court initiated the case “On Compliance of Section 3, Paragraph seven of the law on State Pensions with the first sentence of Section 91 and Section 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia”. The contested provision Section 3, Paragraph one of the law […]
Suspension of the ban on gambling by the Ķekava Municipality local government complies with the regulatory framework
On 20 April 2023, the Constitutional Court has rendered a judgement in the case No. 2022‑13‑05 “Regarding Compliance of the Order No. 1-2/11040 of 21 December 2021 of the Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development “Regarding Suspension of the Effect of the Binding Regulation No. 22/2021 of the Ķekava Municipality Council dated 8 September […]
A case has been initiated on the rules prohibiting the breeding of fur animals solely for fur
On 23 March 2023, the 3rd Panel of the Constitutional Court initiated the case “On Compliance of Section 2 and Section 3 of the Law “Amendments to the Animal Protection Law”, adopted 22 September 2022, with the Section 1 and Section 105 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia”. The Contested norms By Section […]