A joint visiting session of the Legal Affairs Committee and the Judicial Policy Subcommittee of the Saeima is held at the Constitutional Court

08.05.2019.

Today, on 8 May, a joint visiting session of the Legal Affairs Committee and the Judicial Policy Subcommittee of the Saeima, with the Constitutional Court judges participating, took place at the Constitutional Court. The joint session reviewed a number of issues in connection with the Constitutional Court.

Opening the session, Chair of the Saeima’s Legal Affairs Committee Juta Strīķe expressed appreciation of the Constitutional Court’s work and its high reputation in society, as well as gratitude for the conferences organised by the Court. She noted that the members of the Saeima had been referring to the Constitutional Court’s conclusions in their daily work and therefore saw the joint session as a good opportunity to exchange opinions and continue working on the improvement of the legislative process and the quality of legislative drafting.

The President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele welcomed the members of the Saeima to the Constitutional Court and proposed that the joint session discuss certain issues in connection with the strengthening of the independence of the Constitutional Court as a constitutional body defined in the Satversme (the Constitution). She stressed that the Constitutional Court was the only constitutional body with a mandate to tell the sovereign that it has stepped outside the framework of the Constitution. This is a great responsibility to society, requiring that maximum effort be made to ensure the Constitutional Court’s independence in various dimensions – not only financially and administratively, but also in settling the matters pertaining to the status of a Constitutional Court judge.

In conclusion of the joint session, Juta Strīķe pointed out a few particular legal issues which took shape as a result of the meeting and should constitute the agenda of the Legal Affairs Committee.

Photos are available here.