The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia will provide support for the development of the justice in Ukraine
Today, on 19 February, within the framework of the European Union and the Council of Europe Joint Programme “The Partnership for Good Governance”, the project “Support to development of constitutional justice in Ukraine”, which will last until August 2025, was launched. Judges and employees of the Latvian and Ukrainian Constitutional Courts, as well as representatives of the Council of Europe participated in the opening event. The parties discussed the scheduled activities, as well as matters related to experience-sharing and cooperation between the two Courts.
In his opening address, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia Aldis Laviņš expressed his gratitude that the Constitutional Court had been proposed as the leading partner of cooperation in this project. The President of the Constitutional Court underscored that such credit of trust, granted to the Constitutional Court, acknowledged belief in those values that the Court defended in its work. The President highly appreciated the strength and commitment of the Ukrainian colleagues that they demonstrated in the challenging circumstances of war, not only in their persistent work to ensure the continuity of the constitutional review but also by their active efforts to develop and improve their competencies. “The official launch of the project takes place in a symbolic time when the Ukrainian people have been defending their freedom, in fierce battles, for the second year already. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine continues its work and development also when Kyiv is the target of missiles. And this commitment to improvement serves as a safeguard for the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Ukraine of the future – a democratic state, governed by the rule of law, in the family of developed European states. Launching of the project is an important event both for Ukraine and Latvia; moreover, we have received strong support from the highest officials of this State,” Aldis Laviņš underscored.
Acting Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine Serhiy Holovaty, in turn, noted: “The main purpose of our joint project is the development of constitutional justice in Ukraine, taking into account the best practice of our partners – the Constitutional Court of Latvia. This cooperation includes sharing of knowledge and experience to improve the effectiveness of legal proceedings, as well as in the application of the European legal standards, among others, those that follow from the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Within the framework of the project, it is planned to deepen the dialogue between the Constitutional Courts of Ukraine and Latvia, by organising working groups and discussions, involving both Judges and Judges’ assistants, as well as other experts. Professional support by a Constitutional Court of a Member State of the European Union is of utmost importance for full integration of the Ukrainian legal system in the united European legal space. We appreciate very highly the experience that the Latvian Constitutional Court has gained in its dialogue with the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, active international cooperation, as well as contribution to the development of legal thought in important fora of European and global level. We hope to have successful project outcomes and mutually beneficial cooperation.”