A volume of commentaries on the Satversme, dedicated to the Saeima, launched
On Tuesday, 8 September, the solemn launch of the volume “Commentaries on the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter II “The Saeima”” was held at the Red Hall of the Saeima building. The solemn occasion was opened by Speaker of the Saeima Ināra Mūrniece; participants were addressed by President Egils Levits and Ringolds Balodis, leader of the scientific project of the commentaries on the Satversme.
Justices of the Constitutional Court Gunārs Kusiņš and Jānis Neimanis as well as Head of the Legal Department of the Constitutional Court Alla Spale attended the event. The voluminous publication comprises scientific explanations on Chapter II of the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia (hereafter – the Satversme).
The Constitutional Court’s Justice Gunārs Kusiņš is the author of the commentary on Article 15 of the Satversme and also served as the member of scientific editorial board. Justice Jānis Neimanis, in turn, has prepared the commentary on Article 24 of the Satversme. Alla Spale, Head of the Constitutional Court’s Legal Department was also involved in the making of the volume, being the co-author of the commentary on Article 28 of the Satversme.
On the scientific project of commentaries on the Satversme
The project of scientific commentaries on the Satversme commenced in the summer of 2008. It is a collective study by scholars of law, experts, faculty members and professionals of the area, providing insight into the historical origins of the articles of the Satversme, explaining the scope and the current understanding of an article. The Justices of the Constitutional Court and the Court’s lawyers have contributed greatly to the making of the commentaries, explaining the norms of the Satversme. President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele, Vice-president of the Constitutional Court Sanita Osipova, Justices Gunārs Kusiņš, Jānis Neimanis and Artūrs Kučs as well as Head of the Legal Department Alla Spale were involved in the project.
Former President of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endziņš has participated actively in the work of the editorial boards for all commentaries. Former Justices of the Constitutional Court Kaspars Balodis and Ilma Čepāne, former Advisor to the Constitutional Court’s President Laila Jurcēna as well as former lawyers of the Court Jānis Pleps, Inese Ņikuļceva and Edgars Pastars have contributed to these publications.
Until now in the framework of the project, commentaries on Chapters I, III and IV, V, VI and VII as well as VIII had been prepared and published. The volume “Commentaries on the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter II “The Saeima”” is the sixth and the final volume of the commentaries. The commentaries on the Satversme were published by the Publishing House of the official journal of the Republic of Latvia “Latvijas Vēstnesis”.