The lawyers of the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Latvia shared their experience in preparing constitutional justice cases

On 23–24 February 2023, a delegation of lawyers from the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia, led by the Head of the Legal Department, Kristaps Tamužs, visited the Constitutional Court. During the working meetings, advisers, judicial assistants, and consultants of the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Latvia shared their work experience and discussed the most important constitutional justice cases, as well as particularities and differences in their preparation.

Greeting the guests, the President of the Constitutional Court, Danutė Jočienė, welcomed the close cooperation between the Constitutional Courts of both states.

“Close cooperation in sharing experience not only at the level of justices of the Constitutional Court, but also at the level of judicial assistants and other employees, is especially gratifying. This provides excellent opportunities to discuss various issues of significant relevance to both courts and to look at the solution of topical questions in a different way. It is very important that not only justices consult among themselves, but also lawyers – judicial assistants, advisers, and consultants, who are a particularly significant link in our courts,” Danutė Jočienė said.

On the first day of the visit, the guests were acquainted with the competence of the Constitutional Court and the structure and functions of the Chancellery of the Constitutional Court. The lawyers of the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Latvia overviewed the constitutional justice cases of the last year in relation to non-compliance with the principle of the equality of persons before law and the ensuring of the right to a fair trial.

The second day of the visit was focused on the constitutional requirements applicable to the law-making process in both countries, as well as on the cases decided by the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Latvia in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cooperation between the Constitutional Courts of Lithuania and Latvia started in 1996, when the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia was established. From 2000, work experience was shared at the meetings of justices and, since 2002, annual bilateral conferences of justices have been organised. During the meetings and conferences of justices, participants share their experience and address topical questions of constitutional jurisprudence, as well as seek ways to solve issues arising in constitutional justice cases and discuss the constitutional consequences of the adopted decisions. The lawyers of both Constitutional Courts have met for a working dialogue for the second time – in spring last year, advisers, judicial assistants, and consultants of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania visited the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia.

Photo: Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania.