Gunārs Kūtris

President of the Constitutional Court

Gunārs Kūtris was born on November 12, 1960.

In 1983, he graduated the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia and, in 1994, obtained the master’s degree in Law. He was a stagier the National Academy of the USA Federal Bureau of Investigation, the training centre of USA federal law enforcement bodies, Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice of Japan. Mr. Kūtris also participated in different international conferences, seminars and training courses.

From 1982 to 1985, Mr. Kūtris was the head of Forensic Science Laboratory of the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. Since 1985, he is a lecturer at the Department of Criminal Law of the Faculty of Law, the University of Latvia. From 1990 to 1996, he was the Chief Prosecutor of the Department of Methodology of the Prosecutor General Office. In 1996, Mr. Kūtris took the office of the director of the Financial Police at the State Revenue Service. From 2001 to 2003, he was Undersecretary of State on legislation issues of the Ministry of Justice but from 2003 to 2004 – the State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.

Mr. Kūtris is the author of more than 70 publications on the topical problems in the criminal procedure (pre-trial investigation), forensic science and operation of law enforcement institutions, as well as issues on constitutional law.

In 2011 became substitute member of The European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).

In 2011 and 2012 elected to the Advisory Board of Rīga Stradinš University.

In March 2004, Mr. Kūtris was appointed by the Saeima (Parliament) a judge of the Constitutional Court. In July 2006, he was elected the Vice-President of the Constitutional Court, but in January 31, 2007 – the President of the Constitutional Court.

His term of office expired on February 19, 2014.