For the first time, the new judicial year of the Constitutional Court is launched by a solemn hearing
On Wednesday, 9 January, the Constitutional Court, for the first time, held a solemn hearing, symbolically concluding the previous judicial year and launching the new judicial one in the presence of several highest officials of Latvia. The solemn hearing was opened by the President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele, who reported on the relevant constitutional law issues in Latvia in 2018. This presentation was followed by a lecture on democracy and the rule of law in Latvia, given by the guest of honour, invited by the Constitutional Court, – Sandra Kalniete, a Member of the European Parliament.
Ineta Ziemele, in her report, focused on the role of the Constitutional Court and the importance of the solemn hearing of the Constitutional Court in the development of Latvia as a democratic state governed by the rule of law, entering the second centenary of Latvia’s statehood. In her report, she turned to a number of significant topics. Ineta Ziemele spoke about the sustainable development of society and the state, underscored the need for respectful dialogue between the branches of the state power, informed about the cases heard by the Constitutional Court in the previous year, and highlighted a number of important findings by the Court. Ineta Ziemele emphasised that the information provided by the Constitutional Court was of general importance since the Court’s rulings constituted part of the Latvian law, on the basis of which social processes would develop in the future.
Ineta Ziemele, the President of the Constitutional Court, presents her report at the solemn sitting of the Constitutional Court. Photo: Toms Norde.
Sandra Kalniete, the Member of the European Parliament, addressed the audience by giving a lecture on the situation of democracy in Latvia. She stated that this situation also most directly reflected the situation of the rule of law in the country. Sandra Kalniete underscored that the Constitutional Court had a very responsible task since, by protecting the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia, the Court also safeguarded the political system of the state and democracy.
Sandra Kalniete, the Member of the European Parliament, gives presentation at the solemn sitting of the Constitutional Court. Photo: Toms Norde.
In her lecture, she examined a number of events that characterised and influenced the development of democracy and the rule of law in Latvia. She also touched upon the contemporary technological challenges that needed to be met, so that they globally would not turn into a threat to the democratic order. At the conclusion of her address, Sandra Kalniete said that Latvia, in its growth, should move forward by following the model of the Nordic countries and wished that, in Latvia’s second centenary, the people of Latvia would make wise, well-considered and far-sighted choices.
The solemn hearing was followed by a press conference, in which the President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele, the Vice-president of the Constitutional Court Sanita Osipova and the Assistant to the President of the Constitutional Court Ketija Strazda informed about the Court’s work in 2018 and answered questions raised by the participants.
Press conference following the solemn sitting of the Constitutional Court. Photo: Toms Norde.
Ineta Ziemele informed about the statistics regarding the submitted applications and cases that had been heard, emphasising that the work that had been done the previous year, similarly to the preceding ones, could be compared to a scientific book, amounting to more than 500 pages. Examining the trends in the Court’s work of the previous year, she said that the legal situation, in general, was becoming more complex, since it was becoming increasingly more difficult to reach and maintain a balance between different interests of persons. In her speech, Ineta Ziemele highlighted also three legally complicated cases, heard by the Constitutional Court last year (No. 2017-25-01, No. 2017-18-01, and No. 2017-23-01).
Sanita Osipova continued to provide insight into the cases heard by the Constitutional Court (case No. 2017-12-01, case No. 2017-17-01), and the findings expressed in the rulings on them. She emphasised that the Constitutional Court had spent the year of 2018, just like the previous years, mainly examining compliance of the contested norms with a person’s right to property, equality and a fair trial, enshrined in the Satversme.
Ketija Strazda, in turn, brought to the participants’ attention the communication activities of the Constitutional Court, which the Court had implemented, in developing a dialogue on the national, European and international level. Additionally, she also informed about the active involvement of the Justices and the employees of the Constitutional Court in a number of projects to educate school students and to raise the public awareness. A part of these projects was included also in the Constitutional Court’s Schedule of Events, in honour of Latvia’s centenary.
The video recording of the solemn hearing of the Constitutional Court is available here [in Latvian]:
The report by the President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele given at the solemn hearing of the Constitutional Court is available here [in Latvian].
The lecture by the Member of the European Parliament Sandra Kalniete at the solemn hearing of the Constitutional Court is available here [in Latvian].
The video recording of the press conference is available here [in Latvian]:
The Report on the work of the Constitutional Court in 2018 will be made available also in English.