During the conversation with the Chairperson of the Supreme Court, the head of state emphasised the role of orderly and safe legal environment for every individual and economic growth of Latvia. “The court judgments that the public understands and certainty of jurisprudence, court hearings within a reasonable time, and active involvement of the judges in material discussions on legal policies shall strengthen both the judiciary itself and faith in justice, and the statehood of Latvia,” stated Raimonds Vējonis.
Both officials agreed on the need to improve the work of the courts to facilitate trust of population and businesses in the judicial system. The Chairperson of the Supreme Court exemplified the draft law of the President of Latvia on improving the Judicial Council submitted already last year as one of the solutions for improving the work of the courts, which had not been railroaded in the Saeima yet. The President of Latvia highlighted that the deciding on the proposed amendments to the Law “On Judiciary” was now in the hands of the legislature and the Saeima was free to decide on forging new premises so that the judiciary could involve more in the improvement of the work of the courts itself. Moreover, one should look for solutions to ensure that the remuneration of judges would be competitive and would promote attracting of the best professionals in the sector to the judicial system.
During the meeting, Chairperson of the Supreme Court Ivars Bičkovičs informed the President of Latvia about the previous year’s results and the novelties in the Supreme Court and the judiciary in general. Both officials discussed the progress of judicial reform and its impact on processing times. The President of Latvia appreciated the reduced duration of cases, particularly in civil matters, and called on the judiciary itself to find solutions for the hearings to become faster based on existing resources.