Address of the President of the Constitutional Court Aldis Laviņš at the premiere of the movie “Atver Satversmi”
Aldis Laviņš
President of the Constitutional Court
Address at the premiere of the movie “Atver Satversmi”
Riga, 26 May 2022
Ladies and Gentlemen!
It is a real pleasure that we have gathered together in such large numbers to commemorate the centenary of the Constitution by watching the educational film “Open the Constitution” together. I am pleased that we are honouring the fundamental law of our country in different ways. On the occasion of the centenary of our Constitution, the Constitutional Court, together with the Bank of Latvia, has minted a silver coin. Together with Latvijas Pasts, we have issued a stamp, and together with the official publisher “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, we have produced an educational film about our Constitution. Each of these projects in its own way highlights the importance of the Constitution in a democratic state governed by the rule of law.
The film “Open the Constitution” is significant in that for the first time in a century the text of the Constitution is made available in a format that allows everyone to understand the history of the Constitution, its content and the values it contains – freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human dignity. It was these values that led to the establishment of the Latvian state in 1918, that led to the willingness of the Latvian people to give their lives in the War of Independence, that led to the courage of the Latvian people to stand up to the Soviet regime and adopt the Declaration “On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia”. It is now the task of our generation to stand up for the Constitution, freedom, democracy and the rule of law. This awareness is particularly relevant today, when Russia’s authoritarian regime is trying to destroy freedom, democracy and the rule of law in Europe ruthlessly, with weapons. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the Latvian society realises and appreciates the importance of the Constitution as the source of our freedom and democracy. I am sincerely happy that the educational character, the interactive form, the visual solution and the musical presentation of this project are aimed at increasing public awareness of the fundamental law of our country. We need to explain to the people of Latvia that the Constitution is not just a document for lawyers. The Constitution is a symbol of our statehood and a guarantee for each of us to enjoy freedom and to participate in the governance and prosperity of our country.
This great idea – to draw public attention to the text of the Constitution through an educational film – was conceived in the editorial office of the magazine “Jurista Vārds”. The Constitutional Court, which actively engages in dialogue with society, took a keen interest in the project to work together to achieve the goal of having the text of the Constitution heard in every school, library and household. Now, through this film, the Constitution can be listened to and watched anytime, anywhere.
On behalf of the Constitutional Court, I would like to express my gratitude to the creative team and the participants of the film, as well as to the editors of the magazine “Jurista Vārds” and the official publisher “Latvijas Vēstnesis”! Together with you, we have succeeded in implementing another project that is based on intergenerational dialogue, enhances the strength of the Constitution and keeps it alive for the future! The foundations of our country will be as strong as the conviction and love we each have for Latvia, its freedom and democracy! I wish that the film “Open the Constitution” would be a new source of inspiration for each generation to build a free, strong and sustainable democratic and legal Latvian state!