With the term in office ending for three Judges, the Constitutional Court meets with the heads of the institutions of the justice system
On Friday, 16 August, Judges of the Constitutional Court met with the heads of institutions of the justice system to look back at what has been achieved in their dialogue and to update plans for the future.
President of the Constitutional Court Aldis Laviņš: “In its dialogue with the constitutional bodies of state power and other institutions, the Constitutional Court has always underscored that all of us – each in its own branch of state power – serve one common overarching aim – the rule of law, and that the targeted cooperation between the constitutional bodies, aimed at the development of democracy, is in Latvia’s interests. The Constitutional Court in its current composition has implemented active and constructive cooperation with the institutions of the justice system to ensure and improve the protection of the fundamental rights for every inhabitant of Latvia. People must be heard, understood and protected.”
President of the Constitutional Court Aldis Laviņš, Vice-president of the Court Irēna Kucina, Judges Gunārs Kusiņš, Jānis Neimanis, Artūrs Kučs, Anita Rodiņa, Minister for Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Chairperson of the Subcommittee on Constitutional and Judicial Policy of the Law Committee of the Saeima Inese Kalniņa, Ombudsman Juris Jansons, Prosecutor General Juris Stukāns, Chairperson of the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates Jānis Rozenbergs, Chairperson of the Council of Sworn Notaries Aigars Kaupe, Chairperson of the Council of Sworn Bailiffs Iveta Kruka and Dina Meistere, Head of the Legal Bureau of the Saeima, participated in the dialogue.
The participants of the meetings discussed cooperation with the Constitutional Court in their spheres of responsibility, among others, dialogue with society and providing explanations for their the decisions, the Constitutional Court’s vision regarding improvements to the Constitutional Court Law, the need to progress towards ratification of the 16th Protocol to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, current developments in international cooperation, as well as possible solutions to making the state provided legal aid more accessible in the legal proceedings before the Constitutional Court.
The term of office of the Constitutional Court’s President Aldis Laviņš expires on 18 August. From 19 August until the election of the next President, Vice-president of the Court Irēna Kucina will be the acting President of the Constitutional Court.
The term of office of the Constitutional Court’s Judge Artūrs Kučs will expire on 2 September since he has been elected to the office of the Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, and Judge Gunārs Kusiņš’ term of office expires on 3 September.
Photo: Tomes Norde